In a move to regain the lost ground in the fight against ISIL in Syria, U.S. Air Force had deployed the much needed A-10 Thunderbolt II ...
In a move to regain the lost ground in the fight against ISIL in Syria, U.S. Air Force had deployed the much needed A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey on Oct 15.
The 12 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve are from the Moody AFB, Georgia. The fleet will replace the six F-16 fighter deployed to the base in August.
The close air support aircraft which is designed solely to engage tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets, is equipped with a nose mounted 30 mm cannon which can defeat wide range of targets effectively.
It can carry a wide variety of conventional munitions including general purpose bombs cluster munitions, JDAM, maverick ground attack missile and rockets.
The aircraft can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate in low ceiling and visibility conditions. It features bubble canopy that provide pilots with all round vision.
The deployment will also breath in fresh air into the 285 A-10 fleet, which USAF proposes to retire over the next four years. USAF says, phasing out the single role platform can save an estimated $ 4.2 billion.
The move comes after Russia tasted success with its campaign against ISIL in Syria, lead by an all attack fleet of Su-34, Su-24 and Su-25 jets, with the four Su-30SM multirole fighter providing the air defense cover.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cory Bush/Released)
