The A-10’s famous Gatling Gun has roots in the old west
Nothing says old west like the famous Gatling gun. Designed by Richard J. Gatling in 1861, the gun was created as a deterrent. The multi-barreled gun could spit out 200 .45 caliber rounds per minute. Later models were capable of an amazing 600 rounds.
The first time the mighty gun saw action was during the American Civil War. At the battle of Petersburg, Union forces, under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant unleashed the new weapon. The result was a decisive Union victory.
Enter the era of the A-10 Warthog gun
In 1966, the US Air Force issued a request for proposals. They needed a new close-air-support (CAS) aircraft. The aircraft was to be designed around survivability, loitering capability, and effectiveness against armored targets. However the main requirement was that the air-frame had to be designed around a massive Gatling gun. That’s right! The old west tech was back!
The gun on the A-10 Warthog is a GAU-8/A Avenger cannon. Originally designed by General Electric, the gun featured a rotary cannon with multiple barrels. Using the Gatling gun principle for high rates of fire to suppress the enemy was the objective..
The seven-barrel system is approximately 19 feet long and weighs an incredible 4,029 pounds. The gun can fire PGU-14/B Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API) and PGU-13/B High Explosive Incendiary 30mm (HEI) rounds.
The A-10 Warthog gun’s incredible statistics:
The A-10 Warthog gun has two different rates of fire. The low setting fires approximately 2,100 30mm Rounds per minute. The high setting allows for an amazing 3,900 30mm rounds per minute.
The ammunition is fed from a drum magazine which holds up to 1,1774 rounds of ammunition. This deadly combination made the A-10 Warthog a professional gun fighter of the sky.
The dimensions of the 30mm Rounds are approximately 7.9 inches tall by 4.7 inches wide. At this size, each round weighs an approximate 1.1 pounds or 500 grams. These rounds were designed to penetrate and destroy armored vehicles, including tanks and personnel carriers.
When did the A-10 Warthog’s gun see action?
The A-10 Warthog’s gun first saw action during Operation Desert Storm on January 17, 1991. The A-10’s cannon provided precise and powerful fire support. The A-10s were tasked with destroying enemy armor and fortifications.
For the entirety of the 43 day campaign, the A-10 proved highly effective in its role. The aircraft’s rugged design and armor protection allowed it to withstand battle damage and continue flying. Out of a total of 8,100 combat sorties flown by A-10s, only two were shot down.
In the following years, the A-10 Warthog’s gun would come to bare in several more campaigns. From the Bosnian War in 1995 to later operations throughout the middle east and the War on Terror, the A-10 Warthog gun brandished it’s might.
A-10 Still Soldiers On
The A-10 Warthog is still in operation today. The A-10s have been stationed in Eastern Europe, particularly in countries like Estonia and Poland, to bolster NATO’s presence and deter potential aggression. There are also deployments in the Pacific region. This includes bases in South Korea to support U.S. interests and allies. Although retirement plans are in the works, they still soldier on today.
What lessons have we learned from the A-10 Warthog ? You can successfully design an aircraft, around a big gun from the old west.
