The A-10C Thunderbolt has a remarkable history, providing close air support to ground forces under challenging conditions for over four decades.

Known as the "Warthog" or "Hog," this durable aircraft has proven its effectiveness time and time again.

The rugged and survivable aircraft is designed to provide close air support to troops on the ground.

The Warthog has a unique combination of abilities that make it suited for close air support: it can loiter for long periods, fly a wide combat radius and carry large loads of ordnance.

The A-10C Thunderbolt has served since 1975, with a distinguished battle history of close air support.

Over the years, it has lent its support to numerous critical operations, starting with Grenada in 1983 up to Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in the early 2000s, and helped US partners around the world in times of need against common adversaries.

It served in the 1990s in the Gulf War, Balkan War, Provide Comfort, Deny Flight, Deliberate Guard, Desert Fox, Nobel Anvil, Allied Force and Southern Watch.

The aircraft has earned a reputation for reliability and outstanding performance in various theaters of conflict.

The flying warthog

The single-seat, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft is often painted with growling teeth across its nose.

It is the only aircraft in the US Air Force explicitly designed for close air support missions.

Its primary role is to provide support to friendly ground forces threatened by enemy tanks, armored vehicles and dismounted ground forces. It is built to excel in the demanding role of safeguarding troops on the ground.

The Warthog has excellent maneuverability at low air speeds, and it can operate under 1,000-foot (304.8-meter) ceilings and hover and loiter near battle areas for extended periods.

The A-10C Thunderbolt airframe is battle-hardened and designed for durability.

More than 1,000 pounds (454kg) of titanium armor protects the pilot and the flight-control system. It can absorb damage and keep flying with self-sealing fuel cells and backup systems in case of severe attack.

Manual systems back up the hydraulic flight-control systems so pilots can still fly and land the aircraft if the hydraulic power is lost.

These features give the A-10C better survivability during close air support than previous aircraft had, according to the Air Force.

Close air support

With its ability to take off and land from relatively short runways, the A-10C Thunderbolt is adept at getting in and out of locations airstrips near the front lines, reducing response times and increasing its efficiency in providing close air support to ground forces.

As such, the A-10C is an essential component of the US Air Force's Agile Combat Employment (ACE) strategy.

The ACE strategy is a vision to use agile tactics to respond to the modern, contested environments of combat. It shifts operations from focusing on centralized physical infrastructures, instead spreading out to smaller, dispersed locations or cluster bases.

The A-10C Thunderbolt is well equipped for day and night close air support, with precision guided and unguided munitions that it can release from a large combat radius.

Its armament includes general-purpose bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions, (JDAMs), AGM-65 Mavericks, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets and illumination flares. This versatility enables it to adapt to a wide range of operational requirements and engage various targets effectively.

Chief among its weapons is the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm rotary autocannon.

The seven-barrel Gatling-style cannon fires armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds. It attacks with a blistering rate of fire of 3,900 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 3,324 feet (1,013.2 meters) per second.

This allows the A-10C to engage ground targets more than 3.2km away. The GAU-8 system is also used on US Navy ships under the moniker "Goalkeeper" Close-In Weapon System.

The A-10C's adaptability in co-ordinating complex air operations allows it to extend its role beyond close air support. It can act as a forward air controller for other aircraft engaging enemy ground forces. In this capacity, it is referred to as the OA-10.

The A-10C Thunderbolt is an enduring specialized aircraft with a lengthy combat record, unique capabilities and decades of use to support ground forces.