autoevolution
 

Strafing A-10 Thunderbolt Shreds Air Around It During Gunnery Competition

In the world of military aircraft, the term “strafing” means shooting the plane’s guns at ground targets like crazy, all while flying fast and low. Luckily, it’s not something we get to see in the real world today, but it is something aviators do prepare for, just in case.
A-10 Thunderbolt ii during strafing run at Hawgsmoke 2022 15 photos
Photo: USAF/Senior Master Sgt. Joshua C. All
A-10 Thunderbolt ii during strafing run at Hawgsmoke 2022A-10 Thunderbolt over the Nevada Test and Training RangeA-10 Warthog refueling over CaliforniaA-10 Thunderbolt taking offA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE trainingA-10 Thunderbolts on ACE training
When it comes to strafing runs, few aircraft seem to be as better prepared for as the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Also known as the Warthog because of its ugliness, the plane was specifically developed in the mid-1970s as a close combat air support platform for ground troops.

As such, it comes with a variety of powerful weapons, the most potent of which being of course the nose-mounted Gatling gun. It’s officially called GAU-8 Avenger, and can spit out 30 mm rounds at incredible speeds and with incredible accuracy.

Hundreds of rounds can rush out the seven barrels of the gun from an altitude of 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), and if the pilot gets the run right, they can all fall within a 40 feet (12 meters) area around the target.

Back at the beginning of September, the Hawgsmoke 2022 gunnery competition was held at the Saylor Creek Bombing Range. A-10s were there, of course, as seen in the main photo of this piece, recently released by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and showing one of them as it makes a mess of the air around it when firing the gun.

Hawgsmoke is described being a competition for Warthogs and their pilots, who make strafing runs in various weapons’ use scenarios for the win. The target practice event traces its roots back to 1996, and it was designed to allow A-10 pilots to “show their stuff.”

This year’s winner was the 190th Fighter Squadron out of Gowen Field Air National Guard base in Idaho.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)

Editor's note: Gallery shows other A-10s.

About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories