A-10C Thunderbolt II

Guardian52

New Member
Howdy, all!
I'm doing some research for a Science-Fiction/Military Thriller Novel that I am writing. My main character is a US Army Captain in a Special Forces ODA (Operational Detachment-Alpha) pinned down during a CSAR mission by a massively numerically superior combined force of PRC PLA and DPRK forces during a fictional near-future invasion of South Korea. I am using a real-life unit, the 25th Fighter Squadron stationed at Osan AB, ROK, and a flight of four A-10Cs of that squadron to provide CAS for these Green Berets.
My questions are as follows:
What is the standard weapons payload for an A-10C in a CAS mission footing? What variant of Hydra-70 Rocket Pods do they use (ie. LAU-68, LAU-69, etc.)?
Does the A-10C have a reliable night-flying capability and what NVG/FLIR systems give it this capability?
Typically, how many aircraft are assigned to a flight and squadron of A-10s (I have found that there are often 12-18 in a squadron and 3-4 in a flight)?

Thank you very much, have an excellent day.

- Guardian

"Mortis Prius Infamia"
 

birdus

New Member
A-10 attack details

I'm doing research for a novel and had a couple questions about how the A-10 Warthog does its missions.

First, for a bombing mission of a single facility, but with two separate targets about a half mile apart, how many planes would go? One per target? A pair per target? Only one?

Second, would a plane typically fly over the target to scope it out visually prior to the actual attack?

Third, after a run, how would the plane go about executing a follow up run? For example, would it climb out steeply, roll inverted, then pull back for a tight loop and dive back down on the target? Or completely differently than that? I'm just trying to imagine. I have no idea.

Fourth, do A-10 pilots carry an M9 Beretta pistol with them?

Fifth, do pilots normally carry a cell phone with them? Would they on a training mission in the United States?

Any other details that might be interesting to the reader would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jay
 
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