Attack, observation & battle management - Weapons - Brief Article

A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II Primary function: Close air support; airborne forward air control. 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 Rockeye II cluster bombs, Maverick missiles and laser-guided/electro-optically guided bombs, infrared countermeasure flarcs, electronic countermeasure chaff and jammer pods. Crew: One. Inventory: A-10, 126 and OA-l0, 84; Guard, A-10, 76 and QA-10, 26; Reserve, A-10, 44 and QA-10, eight.

AC-13OH/U Gunship

Primary function: Close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Speed: 300 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 132 ft. 7 in., length 97 ft. 9 in., height 38 ft. 6 in., Range: 1,496 miles. Armament: AC-130H, Two 20 mm Vulcan cannons with 3,000 rounds, one 40 mm Bofors cannon and one 105 mm howitzer; AC-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.

E-3B Sentry (AWACS)

Primary function: Airborne surveillance; command, control and communications. Speed: 360 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 130 ft. 10 in., length 145 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: 32.

E-8C Joint STARS

Primary function: Long-range, air-to-ground surveillance system. Speed: 450-585 mph. Dimensions: Wingspan 145 ft. 9 in, length 152 ft. 11 in., height 42 ft. 6 in., radome length, 40 ft. Range: nine hours unrefueled, 15 hours with aerial refueling. Crew: 22. Inventory: 14.