The A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs are the first Air Force aircraft designed specifically for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective, and highly survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, especially tanks and other armored vehicles. The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ., in October 1975.

The aircraft can carry a wide variety of ordnance under its wings and nose, loiter on-station for long periods of time, and fly over a wide combat radius, making it an ideal warrior on today's battlefield. In the Gulf War, A-10s, with a mission capable rate of 95.7 percent, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles used in-country.

In 2005, the entire fleet of 356 A-10 and OA-10 aircraft began receiving the Precision Engagement upgrades including an improved fire control system (FCS), electronic countermeasures (ECM), and smart bomb targeting. The aircraft receiving this upgrade were redesignated A-10C. The Government Accounting Office in 2007 estimated the cost of upgrading, refurbishing, and service life extension plans for the A-10 force to total $2.25 billion through 2013. In July 2010, the USAF issued Raytheon a contract to integrate a Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting (HMIT) system into the A-10C. The Air Force Material Command's Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah completed work on its 100th A-10 precision engagement upgrade in January 2008. The final aircraft was upgraded to A-10C configuration in June 2011. The aircraft also received all-weather combat capability, and a Hand-on-Throttle-and-Stick configuration mixing the F-16's flight stick with the F-15's throttle. Other changes included two multifunction displays, a modern communications suite including a Link-16 radio and SATCOM. The LASTE system was replaced with the integrated flight and fire control computer (IFFCC) included in the PE upgrade.

Throughout its life, the platform's software has been upgraded several times, and although these upgrades were due to be stopped as part of plans to retire the A-10 in February 2014, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James ordered that the latest upgrade, designated Suite 8, continue in response to Congressional pressure. Suite 8 software includes IFF Mode 5, which modernizes the ability to identify the A-10 to friendly units. Additionally, the Pave Penny pods and pylons are being removed as their receive-only capability has been replaced by the AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT targeting pods or Sniper XR targeting pod, which both have laser designators and laser rangefinders.

In 2012, Air Combat Command requested the testing of a 600-US-gallon (2,300 l; 500 imp gal) external fuel tank which would extend the A-10's loitering time by 45-60 minutes; flight testing of such a tank had been conducted in 1997 but did not involve combat evaluation. Over 30 flight tests were conducted by the 40th Flight Test Squadron to gather data on the aircraft's handling characteristics and performance across different load configurations. It was reported that the tank slightly reduced stability in the yaw axis, but there was no decrease in aircraft tracking performance.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of an A-10A Warthog ground attack aircraft was attached to the 52nd Fighter Wing, based at Spangdahlem, Germany. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8-3/4-inches
Length: 9-3/4-inches

Release Date: March 2008

Historical Account: "Part-Time Airmen" - The Air National Guard (ANG), often referred to as the Air Guard, is part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Air Force (USAF). Like the Army National Guard, the ANG is administered by the National Guard Bureau and an ANG unit may be activated by either the President of the United States or the governor of the state in which it resides. The national guard is located in every state of the union.

Although the ANG was not established as a separate component of the USAF until 1947, throughout the twentieth century National Guard aviators have played significant roles in all wars involving the United States and in most of its major contingencies. ANG units served on active duty during the Korean War, and ANG F-100 squadrons from Colorado, New York, Iowa, and New Mexico served at Phan Rang AB, Vietnam, for eleven months of 1968-69, flying over 24,000 combat sorties. In recent operations, entire units and individuals have also been activated.

The ANG is often described as a "reserve" force of "part-time airmen," although the demands of maintaining modern aircraft mean many ANG members work full-time. Many ANG aviators work for commercial airlines, but in the ANG they may train to fly any of the aircraft in the USAF inventory, with the exception of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the B-1B Lancer bomber, the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, the AC-130 Gunship, and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

Since the 1991 Gulf War, ANG pilots have patrolled Iraq's no-fly zones. During the 9/11 terrorist attacks the first unit to provide air cover was the Happy Hooligans, a North Dakota ANG F-16 unit diverted from flight training over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Another ANG F-16 unit from Vermont later patrolled the skies over New York City. (courtesy: Wikipedia)