![]() A Marine F/A-18 Hornet flying ‘Fast FAC’ told the approaching A-10A pilots that two AV-8B Harriers had already been hit. The duo’s second mission was more intense than the first – more like what had been predicted for a high-intensity conflict. Solomonson and Marks were told to get there, fast.Ī ground crewman signals as the pilot of a 353rd Tactical Fighter Squadron (353rd TFS) A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft brings his plane to a stop upon arrival in support of Operation Desert Shield. Instead, an operations officer found SolomonsonĪnd shouted, “Get saddled up again! Go!” Marines needed help just At first, the pilots thought they would be instructed to The ‘Warthogs’ set down at a FOL (Forward Operating Location) where they ![]() Rather than return to their original base, “For an A-10 pilot it just doesn’t get any better than this.” Pulled off and looked back at eight tanks burning and exploding, ammunitionĬooking off and creating a furious spray behind him, Solomonson thought, To see T-62s and at least one T-72 – the principal tracked vehicles of Iraq’s Throughout the day, the A-10A pilots were The aircraft is armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AGM-65 Maverick missiles, and Mark 82 500-pound bombs. An A-10A Thunderbolt II aircraft takes part in a mission during Operation Desert Storm. Two more fell beneath the driving force of the A-10’s 30-mm GAU-8/A seven-barrelled cannon. It took 10 minutes for the pair to kill six tanks with Mavericks. The Maverick missiles, which detect and home heat sources, had unusually rich targets with the tank engines running and extremely hot. The A-10A pilots, carrying infrared AGM-65 Maverick missiles and 30-mm ammunition (1,174 rounds), swooped through the haze and attacked the tanks. “At the end of the track there was the hot Marks came up with the idea of straightening out the Some were pulling off both sides of the road, while others tried to hide in Iraqi tanks were smoldering from earlier A-10A attacks. ![]() Captain Eric Solomonson and Lieutenant John Marks of the 76th TFS/23rd TFW scrambled to engage them.Ī haze shrouded the target area where some A large column of Iraqi tanks was rolling south from areas occupied by the Republican Guard. 25, but one which stood out was flown by a pair of A-10A pilots who set a record of sorts, as explained in the book Gulf Air War Debrief. There were dozens of anti-tank sorties on the morning of Feb. The A-10 was used in combat for the first time during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, destroying more than 900 Iraqi tanks, 2,000 other military vehicles and 1,200 artillery pieces.Īs the ground war slipped into its second day, with allied tanks and troops rolling across the desert sands, the venerable A-10A ‘Warthog’ continued to prove its low-tech mettle against Iraqi armor. Aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10. Its secondary mission is to provide forward air controller – airborne (FAC-A) support, by directing other aircraft in attacks on ground targets. Air Force (USAF) that was designed solely for CAS. It entered service in 1976 and is the only production-built aircraft that has served in the U.S. The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces. No one in uniform likes war, but as he pulled off and looked back at eight tanks burning and exploding, ammunition cooking off and creating a furious spray behind him, Warthog pilot Eric Solomonson thought, “For an A-10 pilot it just doesn’t get any better than this.”
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