Attack, observation & battle management - Weapons - Brief Article - Evaluation

Airman, Jan, 2002

A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II

Speed: 420 mph.

Dimensions: Wingspan 57 ft. 6 in., length 53 ft. 4 in., height 14 ft. 8 in.

Range: 800 miles.

Armament: One GAU-8/A 30 mm seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 lbs. of mixed ordnance, including 500-lb. bombs, 2,000-lb. general-purpose bombs, incendiary and Rockeyc II cluster bombs, Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs, infrared countermeasure flares, electronic countermeasure chaff and jammer pods.

Crew: One.

Inventory: A-10, 143 and OA-10, 70; Guard, A-10, 84 and OA-10, 18; Reserve, A-10, 46 and OA-10, six.

Primary function: Close air support; airborne forward air control.

AC-130H/U Gunship

Speed: 300 mph.

Dimensions: Wingspan 132 ft. 7 in., length 97 ft. 9 in., height 38 ft. 6 in.

Range: 1,496 miles.

Armament: 130H--Two 20 mm Vulcan cannons with 3,000 rounds, one 40 mm Bofors cannon and one 105 mm howitzer; 130U--One 25 mm Gatling gun, one 40 mm Bofors cannon and one 105 mm cannon.

Crew: AC-130H, 14 and AC-130U, 13.

Inventory: AC-130H, eight and AC-130U, 13.

Primary function: Close air support, air interdiction and force protection.

E-3B Sentry (AWACS)

Speed: 360 mph.

Dimensions: Wingspan 130 ft. 10 in., length t45 ft. 6 in., height 41 ft. 4 in.; rotodome -- 30 ft. diameter, 6 ft. thick, mounted 11 ft. above fuselage.

Range: More than eight hours unrefueled.

Crew: 17-23.

Inventory: 33.

Primary function: Airborne surveillance; command, control and communications.

E-8C Joint STARS

Speed: 450-585 mph.

Dimensions: Wingspan 145 ft. 9 in, length 152 ft. 11 in., height 42 ft. 6 in.

Range: nine hours unrefueled, 15 hours with aerial refueling.

Crew: 22.

Inventory: 11.

Primary function: Long-range, air-to-ground surveillance system.