17. Keep The A-10 Alive

A contract to maintain the A-10’s existence was reached in 1973 between the Air Force and the US government. Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger promised to lift an Air Force fighter cap in exchange for Air Force General George S. Brown, the USAF Chief of Staff at the time, pledging his support for the A-10. Consequently, it survived.

18. Powerful Fighting Capacity

The AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles carried by the A-10 are 670 pounds in weight and have the ability to kill a tank in a single shot. The A-10 can go 800 miles on its 10,000 gallons of internal fuel. The cockpit of the A-10s is furthermore equipped with a bubble canopy that provides 360-degree views of the battleground.

19. “Cross of Death”

In three sorties on the second day of the First Iraq War, two A-10s destroyed twenty-three Iraqi tanks. Because of this and the A-10’s likeness to a cross from below, Iraqi forces began to refer to the aircraft as the “Cross of Death.”

20. Legendary Aircraft

Undoubtedly, the A-10 is the most successful close air support aircraft ever made, having flown tens of thousands of missions over a 37-year period, with a total production count of over 700.