May 10, 1972: first flight for the #A_10.
50 years later, it's still here.
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the US Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it bears the name of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II fighter-bomber effective for attacking ground targets, but commonly called "#Warthog" or "Hog." The A-10 was designed to provide close air support (CAS) to friendly ground troops by attacking armored vehicles, tanks, and other enemy ground forces; it is the only production aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served in the US Air Force. Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, a role called forward air controller airborne; aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.
The single-seat A-10A variant was the only version produced, although a pre-production airframe was modified into a two-seat YA-10B prototype to test a version capable of all-weather night flight. In 2005, a program was launched to upgrade the remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration, with modern avionics for use with precision weapons. The US Air Force had declared that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would replace the A-10 upon entering service, but this remains highly controversial within the USAF and in political circles. With various upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life can be extended to 2040; the service had no planned retirement date as of June 2017.
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