The Aircraft That Doesn’t Eject Bullet Shells

[@NotWhatYouThink]

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[@ldIezz]

Important to note the A10 has a new role as a SEAD asset, It can launch jet decoy drones that can mimic the radar cross section of any plane and fool a SAM operator

[@waitingforanalibi2224]

Im sorry but......The GAU-8/A precision when installed in the A-10 is rated at "5 mil, 80 percent", meaning that 80 percent of rounds fired will hit within a cone with an angle of five milliradians; this equates to a 40-foot (12-meter) diameter circle at the weapon's design range of 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

[@mynameisgladiator1933]

You say that the plane had self-sealing properties as if every other American plane hasn't had that since the beginning of WWII. Yep. Our planes had that way back then. Weird.

[@wolfy6631]

@@mynameisgladiator1933 Not every American plane had that in WW2 lmao

[@mbgrafix]

I live a mile from the airport and back in the 90s, there were A10 Warthogs stationed there. As such, I had the privilege of being able to sit on my deck behind my house and watch them practice flying in formation and such as they practiced. It was an incredible free show. I was therefore disappointed when they moved to another airport around 20 years ago.

[@kalenlarsen]

i would be so happy to be able to watch that daily. thats so cool!

[@Freesavh1776]

It was like that at Myrtle Beach back when I was a kid. We'd spend a week there every summer with our church. The A-10 & F-16 have always been my favorites.

[@mbgrafix]

@@kalenlarsen It was indeed amazing...and especially so because being so close to the airport, I got to see them close to the ground.

[@mbgrafix]

@@Freesavh1776 Having experienced it yourself, you know of what I speak.

[@PrimeMinisterofSillyThings]

That other airport very well may have been Selfridge Air National Guard base in Michigan. I grew up around there and they started flying the A10s out of there about that time. Used to see CH-47s and KC-135s as well as the Coast Guard choppers.

[@Arshiyaomera88]

This is what I keep telling to my wife “it’s not about the size of the gun but what’s inside it “

[@NotWhatYouThink]

And what is she saying back? 🤓

[@dixinbuttz44]

she says thanks for me stopping by while little gun is at work

[@Donkeymaster9000]

@@NotWhatYouThinkbro has the explosive ammo equipped 😅

[@B01]

​@@NotWhatYouThink thought she was getting the extended mag but really all she got was one left in the barrel🤣🤣🤣

[@BoneSetterDC]

Well, the A10 carries quite the load, going low and slow, several times per day. Can you compete with that?

[@the-real-shadotr00]

i always forget that 50 year old planes are planes like the A10 and not the F86 or something

[@ЛевГригорьев-б6л]

Если А10 не нужны Америке, предложите их Украине. Может они смогут найти им полезное применение?!

[@Ray_LF]

the f16 is only a year or two younger and is still a gold standard amongst fighter jets. It's far less expensive than the 5th gen fighters and will be used to bulk out air fleets for the foreseeable future. Part of why I really don't think they're gonna manager to retire the a10. It was built to chew bubble gum and kick ass and it's still all outta bubble gum.

[@thefleshyghost6327]

​@@ЛевГригорьев-б6л We sadly don't have control

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

. . . . or the B52 . . . !

[@markfrost2707]

???

[@onebaguetteman]

I love how his voice deepened on the last sentence.

[@paulsto6516]

He reminds me of Jackie Mason.

[@nicholasrice8693]

He has a great voice & cadence

[@ldIezz]

Important to note the A10 has a new role as a SEAD asset, It can launch jet decoy drones that can mimic the radar cross section of any plane and fool a SAM operator

[@SplashJohn]

And the F-14 (my other favorite aircraft) was upgraded with air-to-ground capability in an attempt to keep it relevant after reaching its shelf life. IMHO, both were bad decisions.

[@Commander9013]

So can several other aircraft

[@ldIezz]

@@Commander9013 Sure but the A-10 is a platform that would see limited use in a LISCO so giving it more roles is better to free up more advanced platforms for other uses

[@pottyputter05]

​@@SplashJohn agreed. These decoys have been around a long time and are launched in other ways already

[@strf90105]

You could do that with UCAVs for much cheaper and with much less risk.

[@tc6818]

My two favorite aircraft are the A10 and the SR71. Completely different, but both are masterpieces of engineering.

[@4saken404]

My favorites, too. And the last one in my top 3 is, of course, completely different. The B-17.

[@tc6818]

@@4saken404 Mine too. LOL

[@zacharykai6317]

Those are my two favorites but the B2 is also up there

[@markfrost2707]

A10 and F-35

[@God-ch8lq]

F-111 and XB-70

[@restlessridin3977]

"brrrrrrrrtttttttttttt" Is a sound of relief for allies. And a Nightmare for enemies.

[@kanra2689]

Or the engines

[@henrynagel7175]

Switching the two sentences would be more accurate

[@GrandDawggy]

The British; Pressing X to Doubt

[@markfrost2707]

i loved hearing the 30mm burp

[@Alancio8]

its a relief for enemies because that means the A-10 wasn't aimed for them. its probably not a nightmare for allies tho

[@MMZ_Thumper]

The A-10 has always been my absolute favorite!! Started with the Warthog GI Joe toy I got as a kid. That 2-tone black one at the end though? That was DAMN SEXY!!!!!

[@0101-s7v]

The A-10 is basically the infantry in the sky. That's why I like it so much.

[@blankblankpog]

It's an emotional support for grunts on the ground

[@jamesb6102]

It also has a bad record of being inaccurate & sometimes kills friendly units. It's not that great.

[@armorhide406]

It can't even actually bust tanks with its gun. A lot of grunts hate it cause the gun has a 12 meter spread and often enemies dig in when they see forces do cause they know an A-10 is incoming

[@Boomkokogamez]

@@armorhide406 It can definitely mission kill tank, optics, tracks, engines all gonna be damaged, and some part of the tanks can be penetrated.

[@Boomkokogamez]

@@jamesb6102 Trying not to mention friendly fire challenge (impossible)

[@pilot778spartan3]

@@Boomkokogamezthe chances of it doing so aren’t that high though

[@jalvrus]

I interviewed at the company that built the loader for the A10. The guy who designed the loader told me that the reason for not ejecting was that you lost control of the shell as soon as you tried to eject it. With the very high firing rate, that could lead to jams if a shell happened to linger in the ejection port longer than expected.

[@MrStrikecentral]

The A-10 Warthog is one of the most impressive and terrifying aircraft to ever be created. Its design is so iconic and unique. Its gatling and armament is legendary. It's a real shame to see it being retired, but understandable. There are many, MANY other fighters that may be faster and deadlier in specific situations, but I don't think that any other plane design will be able to remain relevant HALF as long at the Warthog! Just a beautiful machine in every measurable way.

[@markfrost2707]

you need a slow aircraft though...or one that can slow down. i disagree that we dont need close quarter support anymore. Im a Amy combat vet w/ a CIB for reference

[@aquilesca5tr0]

@@markfrost2707 If you slow down yoou get shot down, the a10 was made to survive small weapons fire but a cheap manpad makes it useless

[@mjbates]

I love seeing these in the air all the time over Tucson. Such a unique aircraft!

[@soffici1]

Another iconic aircraft lost to the sands of time. It’s sad to see it go, like the Tomcat and the Blackbird, but progress is progress and we need to move forward, lest we keep sending pigeons instead of emails

[@wrenic_angel]

truly

[@konnorj6442]

A10 isnt dead yet by a long shot the SR is still used on rare occasions though such is not widely published. The F14 was good but flawed and ultimately the advances made the actual F18 a better fit for the USN (Not the pathetic lie that is called an F18 when it really is a totally diff aircraft other than minor superficial looks and the bloated bumblebee aka SH insa pos in so many ways it's not funny ) Progress can be good but not just for the sake of saying it alone The F15 updated is true progress and an improvement on an already spectacular fighter (I adored strapping my ass into it almost as much as I did my 1st love.. the 5) But other disasters like fat amy proved beyond any doubt progress done wrong is fubar

[@wrenic_angel]

@@konnorj6442 accurate, agreed

[@benh745]

That Black A-10 is sexy AF

[@Negata_Ke]

no cap

[@PshhBes]

this was exactly my thought, i havent seen one before and that one absolutely looked menacing

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

It's a masterpiece, yup.

[@DFPFilms1]

You can usually see it sitting out if you land at Fort Wayne - it looks super cool in person.

[@adasaddas]

smart move from the channel to make a video on a topic which many people disagree with each other on. feed the algorythm!

[@MrStrikecentral]

The only thing people disagree with each other about the A-10 is what the sexiest paint job is.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Forty years ago, I could stand in my back garden and watch them a couple of miles away, flying around an RAF radar station atop a range of low hills; it was always impressive.

[@LaczPro]

Finally, the video we all were waiting for! The BRRRRRT video

[@SirGruff]

Try Not To Commit Friendly Fire Challenge (Impossible)

[@Banditxam5]

Bro I was about to say that...

[@Boomkokogamez]

Trying not to mention friendly fire challenge (impossible)

[@The_whales]

Helldivers 2 eagle(basically the warthog but si-fi): blows up friendly forces with a 500kg bomb

[@UltramarineXIII13]

@@The_whales Helldiver: We need close air support! Warthog Pilot: You’re sacrifice for democracy will be remembered. *drops 500kg*

[@kalenlarsen]

theres plenty of scenarios where they saved the day. if not they would not still be recieving any funding at all.

[@SplashJohn]

The A-10 has always been and will always be one of my 2 favorite aircraft (the other being the F-14 Tomcat). But as mentioned by the narrator, everything has a shelf life, and the A-10 reached it years ago. Excellent video, many thanks to the channel!

[@robertb6889]

Love seeing the A-10’s flying here from the local airbase, but asp excited to see the replacements.

[@LucyWoIf]

The A10 will always have a special place in my heart

[@Omega_A3]

I still feel the A-10 will always have a place. No other aircraft can replace the A-10 for me and most of us.

[@wrenic_angel]

Except a newer A-10.

[@ShortArmOfGod]

Except all the air assets in the inventory that are better.

[@Omega_A3]

@@ShortArmOfGod lies I say!

[@FalconWindblader]

Much as i hate to say it, not so when it comes to the role it was first built for. progress in military tech over the past 50 years simply means that there're now better, safer, more efficient & effective ways of doing what the A-10 is put to do. it's also a shame that the A-10 just can't tank damage like it used to, & that it can't simply be refitted with better, bulkier armor.

[@nudelmann8825]

You cant tell me there is a better plane for its job. Yeah when it comes to fight real nations maybe, but you dont throw a 100k on some tent in the middle east. I think for fighting guerillia type of wars there maybe are better planes but this one is the most cost effective one.

[@volcano.mitchell]

The a-10 is a cool flying gun with 2 engines and a bathtub strapped to the gun and i really hope someone can buy a deactivated one 😢

[@addust]

deactivating the A-10 gun without the thing spiralling out of control every time you fly would definitely require pouring lead down the barrel and through magazine input and output ports

[@Ray_LF]

If I were rich and had a pilots license I would 100% want a commuter a10. I'm sure I could find someone to install a sound system loud enough to replicate the BRRRRRRRT for me.

[@ajaysasikumar6931]

​@@addustnot lead uranium

[@arisaga822]

God bless you A10 pilots and ground teams. So many of us are still here thanks to you.

[@Batman-dm7wy]

I like the black and grey one with the snakehead is very cool

[@otterylexa4499]

You didn't mention the lack of sensors (mostly fixed in the most recent upgrade) which is the cause of the very poor friendly-fire record. The possibility of converting it to an UCAV or designing a CAS drone is an interesting one.

[@ridhobaihaqi144]

I remember using this plane on PS2 game Ace Combat: zero. This plane... is so amazing for attacking ground targets. Yes it very slow... but easy to control

[@cybercat7851]

Still fun in AC7. stomps multiplayer lobbies if you're a good pilot

[@joshyoung1440]

You played a video game, no offense but you have no _actual_ fucking idea of the efficacy of this plane for attacking ground targets compared to other planes. You didn't operate one. You operated a PS2 controller. Big difference.

[@joshyoung1440]

"Easy to control" Jesus christ kid YOU'VE NEVER CONTROLLED ONE WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT lmfaooooooo 😂

[@joshyoung1440]

Bro must not realize that "I know how to fly, I've logged tons of hours with the simulator" is such a famously classic way to sound like an idiot it's become a trope. Movies say this EXACT THING, but as a joke because it's immediately obvious to most people how silly it is, so often that the joke has become overused and worn out. And you just said it earnestly lmao. Maybe it's because the joke got so worn out people stopped making it so now people haven't seen it.

[@cybercat7851]

@@joshyoung1440 tell me where he said he could fly one in real life from AC5 experience. I’ll wait.

[@JAMiller1220]

5:15. The equipment used to load the weapons that they’re using is called a jammer operated one while working on the F-15. It runs off diesel, and when the F15 shuts down, you have fuel that comes out of the engine when it shuts down and that jet fuel can be used in the jammer to operate it. It is just a high-grade diesel. Most other fighter planes also do not spit dispense the shells. I wish we had had an auto loader on the F-15. We had to load the rounds back in the F15 manually for the gun.

[@markfrost2707]

it's cannon loader is unique to the A10.....ive seen the monster loader as the gun system weight 2 tins

[@largol33t1]

You have to MANUALLY load the F-15"s gun?? That's just wrong. Thought the military would be more efficient than that...

[@JAMiller1220]

@@largol33t1 it doesn’t take that long. No real benefit. Manually loading is fine. You hardly ever do it. In 4 years may have done it twice. And they were for training.

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Yeah, she’s my favourite. Great presentation mate!

[@fahadshabbir806]

The A-10 made me join the Air Force. I saw it in a Janes weekly when I was a kid during first gulf war. Sadly i could never get my hands on one. Hearing that they would retire breaks my heart.

[@willkerslake8820]

I fondly remember building airfix models of the A 10 Warthog, J.A.W.S. back in the 70's.

[@spankyharland9845]

the A10 was built to survive- and it survived to still be in operation since the late 70's. I think it's mentor was the A1 Skyraider which was used for close air support as well.

[@pwurplewolf]

A-10 superfans try not to re-comment one of these overused quotes (impossible): - "A-10 is not a plane, it's a gun with a plane strapped to it" - "If you heard the Brrt, you weren't the target" - "A-10 go brrrt"

[@notaredspy]

A-10 is not a plane, it's a gun with a plane strapped to it if you didn't hear the Brrt, you weren't the target A-10 go brrrt

[@hengry0]

a-10 virgin haters: "omg friendly fire"

[@pwurplewolf]

@@hengry0 I was never an A-10 hater, son 😆I'm just saying diehard A-10 fans are sometimes cringe as hell and post the same comment for cheap likes

[@4saken404]

- "Let me play you the song of my people."

[@JS-ed2hg]

Best A10 video on KZbin, keep it up!

[@martinhulin]

2:24 well the gun was during testing pretty bad and it was tested on M47 or M48 pattons (not sure) but all tanks could have bean mobalized in 24 hours and they were moving in a straight line forward it was pressumed that the gun couldnt be practicly used to destroy T-62 tanks and thats why people like Pierre Spray are wrong they say that you only need the gun, no radar and avionics and a civilian radio for the role of destroying tanks but the A-10 has to use mevericks and bombs to destroy modern tanks

[@xnewguyx2738]

The one thing that will not be replaced is the emotional uplift the soldiers on the ground feel when the A10 is supporting them.

[@milojinvente7746]

When will people realize that « emotional uplift » is not more important than the plane being good at its job.

[@myplane150]

"Felt relief"... hahaha. Very clever...☺

[@rgbd3542]

10:10 best sound of the century

[@YouTube_user3333]

Drones and precision weapons have made the airframe close to obsolete.

[@chrisdjernaes9658]

Excellent review 🍻

[@catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatca]

One very crucial requirement for close air support was left unmentioned: target identification. Modern fighters can give the pilot better chance of identifying friends and foes on the ground compared to the A-10s infrared system, or the pilots own sight even when flying low and slow. The A-10 no logner is the best platform for figuring out who are the ones needing help and who is the thing they need help with, and then hitting only the foe, not the friends. The other qualities of the aircraft hardly matter if you fall significantly behind on the most important aspect of the mission.

[@easyrider3112]

This was fixed with the last sensor upgrade package. The fleet network integration was also improved so all the aircraft share data in really time. No more blind spots. We have the all seeing eye in the sky.

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

There is also the unmentioned fact that the A10's main IR sensor for the longest time was the Maverick missile, which cuts off imaging during weapons launch. This is why while the A10 has 947 claimed tank kills in Desert Storm, USAF credits it with "1/3 of that" and not with an official number. And also why it has no official confirmed kills because you can't do a BDA on A10 strikes.

[@Umarshams-f7y]

The fact that an a 10 has a turnaround time faster than the budget airline King himself RAYANAIR

[@Demicron]

I wonder if the A10 Can be used in the search aspect of a SAR for coast guard or for drug runners lol

[@Commander9013]

Probably but I think it would just perform the same role the HC-130J already performs, though its bad accuracy could hurt a narco-sub pretty bad less aiming!

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

*proceeds to shoot a yacht identified as *orange sub*"

[@darylcheshire1618]

Narco-subs yeah

[@Ray_LF]

I just imagined how the cartels would react to the signature BRRRRRT. It was a happy, if dark, thought.

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

@@Commander9013 Tbh, who cares if narcos traficants sink ?

[@roeesadan8862]

did you know that Fairchild Republic (the company that makes the A10) is now owned by an Israeli company (Elbit)? crazy right. now the next A10 will have the best electronics in the world and a rear end collision warning when parking

[@whatever8282828]

It is indeed true the reason for keeping spent bullet casings wasn't what I would have thought!

[@modica3466]

Good video. It is not necessarily lobsided to a single side. Instead, it explains both why it was once useful and not it isn't. Was the A-10 unique? Absolutely, but it is a piece of its time, meant to fill a gap in the US military back in the 1970s. It is no longer suitable for CAS in the 21st century.

[@Steamthrower1]

I think it's more than capable of it's role, it's still designed from ground up to be a ground attacker after all.

[@worldtravels2763]

If you answer your own question, what do you need us for?

[@viki5563]

@@Steamthrower1 its slow af gun cant do shit optics (by that i mean radar ccip pod) is pretty bad and upgrades costs way too much. Maybe some random country yea but in for example ww3 it would be useless.

[@Matt-mt2vi]

You point would be better if you didn't use the myth of it fill gap in the 70s. It was a replacement for Close air support and pilot rescue support. It still fills that CAS role better than anything else flying as stated by numerous military studies and test. F-16 did really bad at it in the 90s and most recently the F-35 failed the test. F-35 is great for alot of missions CAS is not one of them. Incompetent Russia is still providing CAS even today, but for some reason people think the A-10C Which is superior to Russian CAS planes can't. Lol

[@modica3466]

@worldtravels2763 that is known as a rethorical question. It is not meant to be answered by the viewer, in fact, it was meant to be obvious.

[@peterpearson1675]

The Wrthog is a fantastic machine and I love it,but even in 1944 the Tsetse Mosquito aircraft had the same hitting power as a broadside from a 6 inch cruiser.

[@mrdyvig]

I'm non-sworn and have never served. But the A10 has slowly become my favorite fixed-wing military aircraft. It's just a monster, a workhorse, and almost invincible. Plus it's good at guns and explosions and stuff... 😎🤓

[@bradmason8334]

One of my favorite older planes: the A10 can add external gas tanks as well.

[@Shepard_AU]

It’s just crazy that 1 single person can have that much firepower at their finger tips. Unlike on navy cruisers where you have multiple people and a full chain of command for them to use their weaponry.

[@markfrost2707]

13Foxtrot here.....one saved me and my COLT team from sure destruction back in desert storm

[@BobNob1]

love these the base north of myrtle beach had these when they first came out they were in the sky like bugs, really neat to see

[@ottaviobasques]

A-10 is also fairly expensive to run nowadays, so you might look into cheaper alternatives, maybe the F-35 isn't cheaper, but, for the light category, you can operate a couple of A-29s for cheaper.

[@BrianLee-Bell]

Just love the A10, it's an amazing plane

[@Bigducksrule]

She’s still a beast and still fighting. That’s all you need to know.

[@edwardcnnell2853]

It is thought the A-10 is obsolete because strafing is no longer needed. It was thought that guns were obsolete on fighter planes due to air-to-air missiles. This is why the F-4 Phantom was built without guns and a gun pod had to later be added. Staffing is direct, up close visual targeting and the staffing pass can expose more targets. The armor of the A-10 was not designed for the modern antiaircraft weapons of today does not mean retrofitting cannot be done. For that matter, a new generation of A-10 designed a built to counter the new ground fire threats. These are designed for ground support only and would not be redirected to intercept enemy aircraft so troops needing their support would not be left waiting whole under threat.

[@MrStrikecentral]

Most of what you have said is true, but there's only so much armor and anti-missile tech you can throw onto a slow-moving target before it's no longer able to take off. With modern weaponry, it's far more efficient and smart to simply use a faster plane that can get in and out before the enemy has any real time to try to take it down. Remember what he said, modern anti-air weaponry can keep up with some of the fastest jets in service today. The A-10 is literally a sitting duck in comparison. Sad, but true.

[@RavenNewsWatch]

All fun and games until you have to maintain the Munitions for that beast. Did it for 22 years.

[@remb1500]

I don’t mean to be cliché, but what’s really important about these airplanes is the people that fly them. The people that fly these planes really love them and love their jobs (most of the time)lol

[@Ballacha]

the coolest thing about a10 is that the military uses it as if it's an attack helicopter. it plays a very unique role comparing to other fixed wing aircrafts. but yeah, modern long ranged guided munitions are slowly encroaching upon the jobs s10 and attack helicopters do, namely close air support for ground troops. attack helicopters will have a longer shelf life because they don't require runways. a10 will be missed.

[@TheGoldPrecision]

If there was a single aircraft that every man wished they could fly and fire in, its the A-10. Such a perfect machine of destruction and that sound is just iconic

[@ParasocialCatgirl]

They only wish to fly the plane because they don't want to be hit by the plane's friendly fire 🙏

[@strf90105]

As a long time F-14 fan, still am, I would like to welcome the A-10 fans into the "gone but not forgotten" club. I've since found another(still serving) plane to root for, the Saab Gripen, but my love for F-14s will never die, and I will forever love the Tomcats.

[@paulis7319]

I'd love to buy a retired A10. It would make those mountain biking road trips much more interesting (and faster)!

[@fredmdbud]

Funny that the A-10 kills were far outnumbered by the F-111, and that was with total air dominance without a meaningful opponent air defense. The A-10 was the PR face while the F-111 and F-16 got the job done ....

[@vamwolf]

Yep!

[@uberrox452]

I love the A-10. Great for troops! Love the sound of the guns. 😂 The best CAS aircraft ever, IMO.

[@usmc2002]

Im alive because of this aircraft. So are many other marines. Soldiers have been saved and air force pilots protected like scott o'grady when he went down. Keep the A-10. A plane like this that's rugged and can take the environment might be the difference in a pacific island war with china.

[@Baribrotzer]

From what I've heard, the Air Force brass hate the A-10 - it's slow, ugly, old, low-altitude, works right out on the sharp end, and does the non-glamorous job of supporting infantry ground-pounders. They've tried to retire it repeatedly. Not sure what the pilots themselves think about it. However the Army LOVES it. It can take out tanks or artillery, and send soldiers scattering for cover and into disorganization. And that's why we still use them.

[@apike_72]

5:32 it’s like a pit stop in motorsport - faster pit stops win the race brother

[@kabuki_kitten7129]

best friendly killing aircraft in the world

[@Adam-nv9zo]

A-10 goes Brrrrrrrrrtttttt.

[@idahomountainlover754]

Love having the A10s here in Boise!

[@AetherialRaine]

my favorite aircraft of all time

[@robertthomas3143]

Just here, waiting for the comments on how it's better than any other aircraft for CAS.

[@Steamthrower1]

It is. Longer loiter time, more ordnance, more hardpoints, more ammo for gun, more survivable, great sensor suite, excellent countermeasures capability, etc..

[@Rigel_6]

It's a cool aircraft with cult following. I really like it. But A-10 fanboys sometimes behave like they are a bit on the spectrum. It's not perfect, it's not invincible, it's old. F-4 was kickass, but it's retired already. Same will happen to A-10 at some point

[@gregbirger5810]

That's because it is. We have nothing else that can do its job in the same cost-effective way.

[@TROOPERfarcry]

Yeah, the Specter gunships are probably way better in nearly every way... but they just don't get the love. People are wrapped around the axle of that gun, but as cool as it is, it's quite impractical to have to steer the entire plane to adjust for aim, versus adjusting the gun on the side of a C-130. Plus, the C-130 has a notable SIGINT collecting advantage, and very, very meaningful loiter times. It's not as fast as the A-10.

[@FalconWindblader]

@@Steamthrower1 On its own, that is. communications & intel is key in pulling off any kind of military operations these days & not even the planes operate alone anymore. most of what you've mentioned, regrettably are no longer required as air units of any kind become all about NOT having others hit you in the first place, & being able to do lotsa damage with minimal payload. it's about how well an entire system work together down to the last detail in any operation, rather than how well a single unit of any kind can do anything. also, survivability don't mean shit anymore, since anti-aircraft & anti-tank ordnance become so commonplace, & reaper drones are just much safer & cheaper options if it really gets that dangerous. being able to fly with only one engine, one & half of a wing, & one lost tail wouldn't matter, if just 2 anti-whatever can almost certainly snap the whole plane in 2 down the fuselage.

[@feldamar2]

There is another alternative to the A-10. The Skywarden! A freaking Cropduster with avionics and bombs strapped to it. CHEAP to build/run/maintain. Which means lots of them, which means lots of ordnance on target. And yes, it can carry quite a bit. A cropduster has to carry a good payload for a long time...same as a CAS craft.

[@pedestrian1997]

The A-10 Warthog was every enemy’s nightmare in the field of combat!👍😎

[@ParasocialCatgirl]

And every friendly's nightmare as well

[@wizerdjuice9589]

Got to watch them being made and tested on Long Island, NY Republic Fairchild.

[@SmilinDeath-455]

Great video.💯 Maybe u could do one on the old school A6 Intruder or the F16 Falcon?🤔 Keeps up the great work. Much 🤟. 🥃🍻🙏🍜

[@jim.franklin]

The USAF have planned to retire the A10 since they came into service - they have always found that the A10 was the only solution to a problem that ground forces were faced with. They were due to be retired in 1990, 2000, 2012, 2020 and now 2030 - I'll believe it when I see it. As for the aircraft already sent to the boneyard - these will be the older ones that have already exceeded their flight hours for the airframe

[@TheBomwa]

The psychological effect of a low altitude strafing run on the enemy cannot be replaced by a F-35.

[@CrazyTruckinS10]

I'm taking a guess, but I'm sure the black and gray painted A10 might be named Black Mamba. That's just what I would call it

[@joshyoung1440]

5:46 you know those guys call those missiles Candy Corn

[@pauldietrich6790]

Kudos! I am retired Blacksnake AMMO. TY for the mention. I have seen fake stuff with the pic of that heritage paint with the most outrageous titles...great bird but very long in the tooth...

[@Australianfarmer]

The beast.

[@marcoavellino4612]

The black A10 is an absolute menace

[@Bambihunter1971]

They've tried to retire the A-10 several times. While some of the things can be done with other platforms, there is something to be said for eyes on the ground. Also, Washington bean counters also like its lower cost per kill. Sure, the A-10 is more vulnerable than ever before, but it is not obsolete. I have yet to talk to a grunt that said they'd rather any other plane above them in a SHTF scenario where they are being over run. That should say all that is needed.

[@epiccookiegamer4190]

I really thought they were gonna pull a "we fire the whole bullet, for 65% more bullet per bullet!"

[@stuuubby5752]

I vote we put some of the A-10's in with the air force special units such as the blue angels or the thunderbirds

[@dvilstrider]

The iconic BRRRR ... sound 😅👌🏻

[@connieembury1]

Very interesting and informative

[@DonPayne-vt9rq]

Retiring the best air support aircraft in the world is just plain insane. Ask any soldier on the ground and they want an a-10 warthog overhead. The Air Force needs the money from the a-10 program to put into the f-35 program. That is the only reason they are retiring the warthog because the warthog has recently been refitted with new wings and upgraded avionics and weapons systems to make them last for another decade.🎉

[@cypherdk85]

It's missiles might be able to work at night, but the A-10 can't fly at night, it has no radar and the pilots have to identify targets visually.

[@SplashJohn]

Um . . . a full squadron was dedicated to night missions in the Gulf War. Pilots used the Maverick missile's IR seeker as a poor-man's FLIR, and destroyed hundreds of targets that way. If you're interested in lessening your ignorance before commenting, numerous books are available.

[@Commander9013]

​​@@SplashJohnBros the embodiment of the nerd emoji its sad, anyways that was test during a simulated battle, and an F-16 or something can carry AGM-65s and they have built in Thermals/Nightvision and have the ability if needed to fight other aircraft. And during that same gulf war F-111s had to take over for the A-10s poor performance at tank killing

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

​@@SplashJohnpilots CLAIMED they kill hundreds of tanks

[@bikecommuter24]

They fly at night they have a NVIS Night Vision Imaging System and they can fly with Night Vision Goggles or NVG's. Im retired USAF and I worked on the A10 for a lot of years and yes they trained to fly at night I was stationed at the base where they trained the new A10 pilots and there was a week where they trained to fly at night. Fun Fact New A10 pilots fly solo their first time, there are no two seat A10 trainer aircraft.

[@EnigmaticParadox]

When you build an airplane AROUND the gun, its definitely all about the gun! 😂

[@ericcsuf]

Absolutely the best military equipment channel on the intertoobs. Impeccably researched, appropriate B-roll and subtle (mostly) humor. I look forward to each new video.

[@skyden24195]

I'm not saying that the Warthog cannot be hit, but it has often been demonstrated that the A-10's ability to fly at lower speeds with greater maneuverability than most (if not all) other fixed wing combat aircraft is one of the Warthog's greatest defense capabilities. Side note: the head-on camera views of the A-10 pilots (looking rearwards of the aircraft) is trippy because it makes the Warthog seem like it has extreme sweptback wings. lol.

[@spdcrzy]

What they really need to do is simply redesign and remanufacture new A10s with state-of-the-art avionincs. The actual construction of the jet itself is amazing - that doesn't need changing. Neither does the propulsion system or the gun, which is HIGHLY effective at its job. What does need updating are typical things like the sensor package and modern targeting systems, but beyond that the actual concept and overall body of the plane was amazing from day one.

[@aquilesca5tr0]

the f35 is what is needed for cas in the modern battlefield, the a10 will be vulnerable to manpads no matter what upgrades it gets

[@armorhide406]

A-10 has more friendly fire incidents than other planes. It also can't kill tanks with its gun. Most accurate = 12 meter spread.

[@Steamthrower1]

It also has the most CAS sorties than any other plane or helicopter, combined. It can, and there are multiple instances of T-72s being popped if you bothered to read a book about the Hog in desert storm..

[@Crustaceannationrepresentative]

​@@Steamthrower1If you bothered to read up on desert storm you'd know the F 111 flew more sorties than the A 10, and had to fly extra because the A 10 was performing so poorly, so the Vark had to pick up the slack

[@Steamthrower1]

@@Crustaceannationrepresentative i wonder what your sources are for that. not even referencing books, a quick google search shows 2,400 sorties for F-111s in Desert storm. The A-10 got more kills than 111 did sorties.

[@Steamthrower1]

@@Crustaceannationrepresentative Can you please provide me a source for the alleged poor performance of the a-10, and the 111 needing to "pick up the slack"? would be greatly appreciated as i have never seen this in any book i've read.

[@Steamthrower1]

@@Crustaceannationrepresentative and as expected, no response...

[@Mike-bh7sh]

They have "retired" the A-10 a few times already... then every time there is a war - they bring it back. Apparently a flying tank is not easily replaced.

[@ItsJustRyansChannel]

The sound the A10 makes strikes fear in the enemy. I know missiles are more efficient, but you won't get that psychological effect.

[@ParasocialCatgirl]

The noise of friendly fire do be like that

[@_arjhin_]

Ahh, the famous quote:If you could hear the gun, it meant you were not the target. One sentence to describe this plane.

[@fidjeenjanrjsnsfh]

Or you could be, but because the pilot has to eyeball it from 10k feet, he might as well be pointing at a totally different direction.