U.S. Air Force Crew CHIEF A1C Ephraim Smallridge performs a pre-flight check of an A-10 Thunderbolt before a mission is flown against targets in Yugoslavia, (not shown) April 5,1999. The armament shown under the right wing of the A-10 is, left to right, two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles; a pod of seven Hydra 70 rockets; and an AGM-65 maverick air-to-ground missiles. Smallride of Mount Vernon, Illinois, assigned to the 81st Fighter Squadron, Spandahelm Air Base, Germany is deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy in support of NATO Operation Allied Force
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The original finding aid described this photograph as:
Subject Operation/Series: SUSTAIN HOPE
Base: Travis Air Force Base
State: California (CA)
Country: United States Of America (USA)
Scene Camera Operator: Kristina P. Cilia
Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files
The A-10 Thunderbolt has excellent maneuverability at low airspeeds and altitude and is a highly accurate and survivable weapons-delivery platform. Called the “Warthog” for its aggressive look and often painted with teeth on the nose cone, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is the U.S. Air Force’s primary low-altitude close air support aircraft best known for its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm Gatling gun designed to fire armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds. In the 1970s the threat of Soviet armored forces and all-weather attack operations had become more serious. Six companies submitted aircraft proposals, with Northrop and Fairchild-Republic selected to build prototypes: the YA-9A and YA-10A, respectively. General Electric and Philco-Ford were selected to build and test GAU-8 cannon prototypes. First A-10 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force on 30 March 1976. By 1984, 715 airplanes had been built.
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