what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an A-10 Warthog Brrrrrrrtttt run.
There are plenty of videos floating around the internet of the A-10 Warthog in action from the vantage point of the pilot and even from that of the American troops receiving support, rarely does one get the opportunity to see what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an A-10 strafing run and live to tell the tale — that is, until SOCOM released this video.
The video below shows exactly what it’s like to be on the business end of the A-10’s massive 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon — courtesy of U.S. Special Operations Command:
The 30 mm General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger rotary canon first entered into service in 1977. The 619-pound monster Gatling gun measured just shy of 2 feet wide and 20 feet long when completed, but more than compensated for its gargantuan size by boasting a terrifying fire rate of 3,900 rounds per minute, fired from its rotating array of seven barrels. That means the GAU-8/A releases a whopping 65 rounds per second when unleashed onto a target.
A-10 Women Pilot “Killer Chick” Kim Campbell Successfully landed back a damaged A-10 Warthog
Oh, and just in case that wasn’t impressive enough, each of those rounds in its shell measures nearly a foot in length.
Everybody knows that the A-10 Warthog is a tough plane, but it can dish it out and it can take it. Getting in for close air support means that you are more likely to be a big target for your enemies. The Gulf War was the time when A-10 Warthogs really shined as they tore through Iraq’s heavy artillery, but they took some tough scrapes.
At one incident pilot manage to land A-10 with 378 Bullet Holes, No Flaps & No Speed Brakes See its video here: Link
During operations in Afghanistan, a confirmed patrol of armed Taliban fighters is spotted by an observation balloon cam. An A-10 Warthog is called in for gun runs on the patrol before they are able to establish their ambush on U.S. forces up ahead. watch the incident Video below
