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The first United States Air Force aircraft built specifically for close air support of ground forces was the A-10C Thunderbolt II. All ground targets, anything from tanks to the most specialized armored vehicles, can be annihilated by these straightforward, efficient, and resilient twin-engine attack jets.
The goal of the A-X program was to build upon the Douglas A-1 Skyraider’s performance. To fulfill that, the powerful 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary autocannon would become the center of the Thunderbolt II’s airframe as the core of its mission. The 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling cannon of the Thunderbolt II can shoot 3,900 rounds per minute to demolish tanks.
The Warthog has a variety of weapons systems, including electronic countermeasures, target penetration aids, as well as a variety of air-to-surface weapons. It was a standout aircraft during the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). Later, the A-10 served in the Middle East against the Islamic State and in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Smithsonian Magazine stated “by the time [Desert Storm] ended, the Warthog would be credited with destroying more than 900 tanks.”
The Short Answer
Tanks can’t compete with the A-10’s specialized gun system. When the Warthog’s unrelenting firepower meets an armored column, they are reduced to burning rubble every time. Brutal rounds of depleted uranium can penetrate even the most resilient tank armor, rendering the armored steel plating into scorching shrapnel.
The GAU-8 was developed under the A-X competition, which produced the A-10. This awesome gun system accounted for 16% of the A-10’s unladen weight and was designed by General Electric with Philco-Ford. The gun ended up mounted slightly off center to the port side, with the cannon barrel protruding below the nose. The A-10 entered service in 1977, with General Electric as the primary contractor.
The Warthog has a deadly reputation for success against hardened targets. Crews repeatedly performed tank-killing strikes during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Its slower speed aids pilots in lining up the ideal shot. The extra time needed to perfect aim during close support missions guarantees a precise attack that spells doom for enemy armor.
What Makes The Warthog A Tank-Buster?
The GAU-8/A Avenger autocannon is one of the most powerful aircraft cannons ever flown. The cannon is hydraulically powered with an accuracy of 4,000 feet and is so good that 80 percent of its bullets will fall inside a circle with a diameter of 40 feet. The 5-foot, 11.5-inch ammunition drum of the gun typically carries 1,174 rounds of 30 mm ammunition, but it can house up to 1,350 rounds.
There is no technical restriction on how long the cannon can fire continuously, and a pilot might use up all the ammunition in a single burst without causing harm to the weapon system. The barrel life is significantly reduced by this steady rate of fire, though, necessitating more barrel inspections and shorter replacement intervals.
The A-10 is armed with the AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile, but other weapons include cluster bombs or Hydra 70 rocket pods. The Warthog arsenal includes GPS- and laser-guided bombs like the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, Paveway series bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser, and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon glide bombs. A-10s also fly with an ALQ-131 Electronic countermeasures pod under one wing and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense.
How Does The A-10 Smash Through Tank Armor?
Pilots line up targets from a distance, slightly angled down in a dive. The pilot uses the aiming reticles to adjust for the plane’s speed, altitude, and the ballistic drop of the 30mm rounds. Once stable, a short burst from the cannon unleashes a hailstorm of armor-piercing rounds. Those shells either punch directly into the turret or cause internal spalling, where armor fragments rip into crew compartments, and immediate destruction.
That pure destructiveness stems from the GAU-8 round’s sheer power. According to Task & Purpose, “the depleted uranium slug is so dense, it turns tank armor into white-hot shrapnel in the crew compartment.” In 2022, the USAF 422nd and 59th Test and Evaluation Squadrons demonstrated that the GAU-8 Avenger of the A-10C Thunderbolt II is still capable of posing a threat to armored vehicles with Explosive Reactive Armor.
Forward air controllers help the pilot spot precisely where to aim. If the target tries to duck behind cover, the A-10 can maneuver to choose an ideal approach angle. Once the pilot sees even part of a tank’s silhouette, a short pull of the trigger unleashes the “BRRRT” that has become infamous worldwide.
By The Numbers
The technical details below underline why the A-10 endures as a star tank-busting platform. Warfare History Network reconfirms the platform’s consistent performance in major conflicts: “in the Gulf War, A-10s had a mission capable rate of 95.7%, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90% of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles.”
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Contractor:
Fairchild
Republic Co. - Power Plant: Two General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans (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 NM)
- Armament: One 30mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance (bombs, missiles, rockets, countermeasures)
- Crew: One
- Date Deployed: March 1976
- Unit Cost: $9.8 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
- Inventory: Approximately 281 (Total Force)
According to the A-10C Thunderbolt II Fact Sheet, “the aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high explosive projectiles up to 23mm.”
Warthog School
The 66th Weapons Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base, runs the A-10 course for the US Air Force Weapons School. The school aims to train weapons officers and enlisted specialists in a skill-specific Weapons Instructor Course (WIC). Graduates are tactical system experts and weapons instructors for mission design series combat aircraft or warfare domains, including ballistic missiles, cyber, intelligence, and space.
The curriculum comprises three phases: Core I, where undergraduates focus on their mission design series or combat specialty, Core II, where they work with other squadrons, and the final integration phase, WSINT (Weapons School Integration). The 66th WPS also participates in exercises, such as Green Flag-West, to demonstrate the A-10’s capabilities in austere environments for fifth-generation support roles and its effectiveness in a peer adversary fight.
Variables In Attack Runs
| Variable | Impact On Tank Destruction |
|---|---|
| Ammunition Type | Depleted uranium vs. HEI = armor vs. area damage |
| Attack Angle | Optimized 30-degree slant for accuracy |
| Weather Conditions | Clear skies boost precise visual targeting |
| Air Defense Threat | High SAM threat reduces loitering time |
| ERA On Target | Depleted uranium can still penetrate with long bursts |
Smithsonian Magazine shared a vivid account of an A-10 pilot team that destroyed twenty-three Iraqi tanks in a single day during Desert Storm. The pilot used a grease pencil to mark each kill. Tanks that tried to flee left behind track marks that gave away their hiding spots, and the A-10 hammered them from above.
Task & Purpose recounts pilot insights of how depleted uranium rounds devastate a tank: “the depleted uranium slug is so dense, it turns tank armor into white-hot shrapnel in the crew compartment.” The combination of mass and kinetic energy leaves the vehicle’s interior a chaotic swirl of molten steel.
Where Are The US Air Force’s A-10 Warthogs Based?
A-10s are currently permanently stationed in around 11 airbases in the US and abroad, although this number is dropping.
The A-10’s Competition
Multirole fighters carry guided bombs that can level heavily armored targets, but they often fly at higher speeds or altitudes, reducing their ability in precise strafing. Attack helicopters, such as the AH-64 Apache, can also knock out tanks with Hellfire missiles, but they are slower, more vulnerable to anti-air weapons, and do not typically carry anything resembling the sheer firepower of a 30mm cannon that the Warthog can unleash.
Drones have proven a capacity to strike armor in recent years, yet a drone lacks the volume of firepower that an A-10 pilot on the battlefield brings while making real-time judgments. Many drones don’t carry enough ordnance to match the Warthog’s payload. If a fight calls for repeated CAS strikes, the A-10’s capacity to rearm, refuel, and return to fight stands unmatched.
Threats To Tank Busting
| Limitation | Effect On Mission |
| Heavy SAM Presence | Forces modified attack approach and cuts loiter time |
| Urban Clutter | Raises risk of civilian structures blocking line of sight |
| Adverse Weather | Obscures targets, complicates approach angles |
| ERA Advancements | Requires long/repeated bursts to ensure penetration |
| Ammunition Usage | Limits heavy tanks that can be engaged per sortie |
Careful coordination and pre-mission planning help offset these problems. Even so, success rates are high even when the airspace is partially controlled if the pilot can visually confirm the target.
GAU-8 Avenger: What Makes The A-10 Warthog Go “BRRRT”?
The gun can fire at a speed of 2,400 mph.
A Dangerous And Reliable Asset
The A-10 Warthog was built to annihilate armor, and the battlefield has proven it does so with stunning reliability. Its low-speed approach, titanium cockpit armor, and enormous 30mm cannon give pilots the tools to shred armor in direct confrontation. Years of real-world operations underscore that it can keep returning until nothing but smoking wrecks remain on the battlefield.
That capacity endures, though new threats require a careful approach. Stealth fighters or drones might handle certain contested zones, but the Warthog thrives in scenarios where pilots can pick out prime targets and pour on the fire.
