Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II, 74th EFS, 23rd FG, Al-Asad AB, Iraq, Spring 2007

Cpt. Al prepares for another daylight sortie to provide CAS for coalition forces in the Al-Anbar province during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007. 74th FS 'Flying Tigers' arrived at Al-Asad on January 17 and deployed until April, replaced by 109th FS and 130th FS of PA and ID ANG respectively.
His hog carries heavy loads of armaments including 2 GBU-12s, 2 Mk-20 Rockeyes, 2 IR Maverick-Ds, 2 TV Maverick-Ks, (not visible) LITENING pod and 2 Sidewinders and AN/ALQ-131 jamming pod for self-defence, totalling over 2703 Kg

Employment of Mk-20 rockeyes are somewhat anachronistic, considering it had been largely superseeded by CBU-97 SFW/CBU-105 WCMD in anti-tank role. You see, despite fitted with LAU-88 triple launcher, A-10 normally only carry up to 2 Mavs in slant outboard configuration on stations 3 and 9, this is done to avoid damaging wheel and wheel pod from inboard missile exhaust. another fact worth noting about weapon employment, is that sidewinders are always carried on LAU-114A twin launcher and fitted to either station 1 or 11, while the AN/ALQ-131 jamming pod fitted on opposing station.

81-0979 (C/N A10-0674) was originally built as A-10A in 1981 and later upgraded to A-10C standard in Precision Engagement Modifications program, with new glass cockpit (2 5"x5" full color MFD), HOTAS control, updated digital avionics and communication systems, uprated power supply, and modernized DSMS enabling A-10 to carry LITENING and Sniper ATP pod and employ various PGMs such as JDAM, SDB and WCMD. However, it retains its Pave Penny targeting pod until removed much later. Among other upgrades are new Situation Awareness Data Link (SADL), Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER), EGI/GPS FRP antenna and new AN/ARC-210 VHF/UHF SATCOM T-shaped antenna unique to A-10C.

After introduction of LITENING pod on A-10A+/C Pave Penny pods are gradually removed leaving only its pylon or patch of fresh paint on A-10's right nose (Pave Penny itself is not standard feature on initial production A-10A, it was retrofitted around 1978)

Before upgrades the hog was no high-tech aircraft, instruments were mostly analog save for the HUD and small TV screen to guide the Mavericks. Autopilot was nonexistent, And TACAN beacon navigation system is a line-of-sight system, pilots had to rely on old-fashioned navigation to find their way to target and back all the way to base. Last 283 aircraft however, were fitted with AN/ASN-141 INS which later retrofitted to earlier aircraft along with new AN/APN-164 Radar altimeter. As such, A-10A weak point is night/adverse weather operations, in which it is somewhat ill-equipped, pilots had to use Maverick-D's IR seeker as makeshift FLIR to acquire targets in low visibility, or simply drop flares from SUU-26 dispenser. its Pave Penny pod also only capable of tracking laser spot but rely on other aircraft/ground force to 'paint' its targets,


Very long overdue commission for  alcapwny