Military Snapshots - A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II

Flying high over the Nellis Range Complex is a Fairchild A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II from the 52nd Fighter Wing, 81st Fighter Squadron, from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. During Red Flag, A-10s are responsible for clearing ground threats such as tanks, radar facilities, and antiaircraft arms. Between its massive 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun and the ability to fire Maverick antitank missles, not much can withstand the punch of an A-10. Photo courtesy of Tyson V. Rininger, from Red Flag: Air Combat for the 21st Century.