A-10A

The A-10A - the Warthog, the legend, and its sidekick the AVENGER! - is the close air support aircraft for the NATO faction, opposite the Pact Su-25. The A-10 first came into service in 1976 as the first, and currently only, dedicated close air support aircraft of the US Air Force. Massively popular with ground troops for its effective gun-runs, long loiter time and plethora of ordnance, the A-10 is no less effective at leaving its mark on Pact's Creeps in Sky Knights.

In-Game Description
The A-10 was built around its gun, the GAU-8 Avenger gatling, firing specialized 30mm depleted uranium ammunition. This gun is extremely effective against ground targets, dealing 40 damage to IFVs, AAA and FOBs alike. It also comes equipped with 4 AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles and 2 Mk-84 1000-lb bombs - which are replaced with 500lb Mk-82 types when the Bomber Loadout is equipped.

The A-10 isn't quite as capable at surprising enemy planes as the Su-25 is as its GAU-8 only does 20 damage to planes*, but it more than makes up for this by absolutely devastating enemy ground targets of all sorts. IFVs will melt under your barrage and if there isn't too much AAA in an area or if you soften them up with Mavericks, you can actually strafe them before you take too much damage. And your GAU-8 is still very effective against FOBs, to the point where you can destroy a damaged FOB single-handedly with only the gun. Just make sure you don't try to turn and burn with fighters: if you can't get the first shot and quickly finish them, they can and will gain the upper hand in a turn-and-burn thanks to their superior turning performance, and if you try to run, they will catch you - period, as you are the slowest aircraft in the game. So point your Avenger towards the ground and shred the Pact Creeps, and watch your team's morale climb sky-high!

Obtaining
The A-10A is one of the three starting NATO aircraft.

Combat History
After the Air Force realized ground-attack plane development had stagnated post-WW2, they sought to initially develop an inexpensive plane to complement the Army's AH-56 Cheyenne. Specifications changed over time to include the new 30mm GAU-8 gatling, and drew from many successful planes such as the IL-2, Hs.129, and A-1. It was accepted into service in March 1976, and production ended in 1984. It first fired a shot in anger in Operation Desert Storm, and continued to serve in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and more recently against the Islamic State in Syria. Out of a fleet of over 700 airframes, only 283 remain as A-10C models. A controversy in the American government is funding for the A-10; as it is not a versatile aircraft, the US Air Force wishes to save 2.7 billion US dollars by phasing it out early, and having the F-35 take its place as a close air support aircraft.

Skins
There are currently 3 skins available for the A-10A: Default, Woodland, and Desert.
 * Default: A grey monotone skin available to all players.
 * Woodland: A green and grey three-color camouflage skin available to Patreon supporters of the Captain tier and higher or players who won 20 games in season 26.
 * Desert: A tan and brown three-color disruptive camouflage skin available to Patreon supporters of the Colonel tier and higher.