A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II

Specifications

Primary Function

A-10 -- close air support, OA-10 - airborne forward air control

Contractor

Fairchild Republic Co.

Power Plant

Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans

Thrust

9,065 pounds each engine

Length

53 feet, 4 inches (16.16 meters)

Height

14 feet, 8 inches (4.42 meters)

Wingspan

57 feet, 6 inches (17.42 meters)

Speed

420 miles per hour (Mach 0.56)

Ceiling

45,000 feet (13,636 meters)

Maximum Takeoff Weight

51,000 pounds (22,950 kilograms)

Range

800 miles (695 nautical miles)

Armament

One 30 mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun;

up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including infrared countermeasure flares; electronic countermeasure chaff; jammer pods; 2.75-inch (6.99 centimeters) rockets; illumination flares and:
MK-82 (500 pound bomb)
MK-84 (2000 pound bomb)
MK77 incendiary
10 MK20 Rockeye II (4 - 6 standard load)
10 CBU-52 (4 - 6 standard load)
10 CBU-58 (4 - 6 standard load)
10 CBU-71 (4 - 6 standard load)
10 CBU-87 (4 - 6 standard load)
10 CBU-89 (4 - 6 standard load)
CBU-97
10 BL755 (4 - 6 standard load)
AGM-65 Maverick missiles
GBU-10 laser-guided bomb
GBU-12 laser-guided bomb
AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

MK	AGM	CBU	CBU	CBU	2.75	GBU	AIM	LUU	LUU	30
82	65	87	89	97	RX	12	9	1	2	MM
12							2			1000
	4						2			1000
6	2						2			1000
	2	4					2			1000
		6					2			1000
	2		4				2			1000
			6				2			1000
				6			2			1000
	2				14		2	8	8	1000
	4				14		2	8	8	1000
	2					4	2			1000

A-10C Precision Engagement

Joint Direct Attack Munition

Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser

LITENING AT targeting pod

Sniper XR targeting pod

Systems

AN/ALE-40

AN/ALQ-119

Crew

One

Date Deployed

March 1976

Unit Cost $FY98
[Total Program]

$13 million

Inventory

                A-10   OA-10
Active force      72      72
Reserve           24      12
ANG               64      30

A-10 Propulsion Upgrade Program [as of 2005]
Capability	Threshold	Objective	Justification
Operate from high density attitude airfields with militarily significant payloads	A 47K lb A/OA-10 (DI of 7.75) operating on a 9000 foot runway at 5,000 feet PA and 35 degrees C can lose an engine at rotation, jettison stores (41.75K lbs remaining, DI of 3.62) and climb with the gear up and failed engine wind milling and maintain a minimum rate of climb of 150 feet per minute (FPM).	Same conditions but maintain a minimum climb rate of 500 FPM.	Allows safe operations with a militarily significant payload in high DA expeditionary conditions; Enables significantly more worldwide basing options.
	A 47 K lb A/OA-10 (DI of 7.75) operating on a 9,000 foot runway at 5,000 feet PA and 35 degrees C must have a critical field length of less than 9,000 feet.	Same conditions but have a critical field length of less than 7,500 feet.
Operate from austere expeditionary airfields	A 47K lb A/OA-10 (DI of 7.75) operating on a 5,000 foot runway at 2,500 foot PA and 25 degrees C can lose an engine at rotation, jettison stores (41.7 lbs remaining, DI of 3.62) and climb with the gear up and failed engine wind milling and maintain a minimum rate of climb of 150 FPM.	Same conditions but maintain a minimum climb rate of 500 FPM.	Allows forward basing of "Sandy" role aircraft with CSAR Task Force; Enables rapid response to calls for CAS/CSAR; Minimizes sortie transit times and maximizes employment; Allows more staging options for TST operations; Allows staging closer to the ground forces for emergency/immediate CAS.
	A 47K lb A/OA-10 (DI of 7.75) operating on an airfield at a 2,500 foot PA and 25 degrees C must have a critical field length of less than 5,000 feet.	Same conditions but have a critical field length of less than 4,500.
Maximize gross weight on take-off (weapons and internal fuel)	Operate a 51K lb A/OA-10 (DI of 14.49) on a 9,000 foot runway, sea level, standard day, be able to lose an engine at rotation, jettison stores (41.6K lbs remaining, DI of 3.62( and climb with the gear up and failed engine wind milling and maintain a minimum rate of climb of 150 FPM.	Same conditions but operate on a 7,500 foot runway.	Leverage PE Mod; Fully capitalize on available hard points in the optimum conditions.

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A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II