The A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs are the first Air Force aircraft designed specifically for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective, and highly survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, especially tanks and other armored vehicles. The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ., in October 1975.

The aircraft can carry a wide variety of ordnance under its wings and nose, loiter on-station for long periods of time, and fly over a wide combat radius, making it an ideal warrior on today's battlefield. In the Gulf War, A-10s, with a mission capable rate of 95.7 percent, flew 8,100 sorties and launched 90 percent of the AGM-65 Maverick missiles used in-country.

In 2005, the entire fleet of 356 A-10 and OA-10 aircraft began receiving the Precision Engagement upgrades including an improved fire control system (FCS), electronic countermeasures (ECM), and smart bomb targeting. The aircraft receiving this upgrade were redesignated A-10C. The Government Accounting Office in 2007 estimated the cost of upgrading, refurbishing, and service life extension plans for the A-10 force to total $2.25 billion through 2013. In July 2010, the USAF issued Raytheon a contract to integrate a Helmet Mounted Integrated Targeting (HMIT) system into the A-10C. The Air Force Material Command's Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah completed work on its 100th A-10 precision engagement upgrade in January 2008. The final aircraft was upgraded to A-10C configuration in June 2011. The aircraft also received all-weather combat capability, and a Hand-on-Throttle-and-Stick configuration mixing the F-16's flight stick with the F-15's throttle. Other changes included two multifunction displays, a modern communications suite including a Link-16 radio and SATCOM. The LASTE system was replaced with the integrated flight and fire control computer (IFFCC) included in the PE upgrade.

Throughout its life, the platform's software has been upgraded several times, and although these upgrades were due to be stopped as part of plans to retire the A-10 in February 2014, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James ordered that the latest upgrade, designated Suite 8, continue in response to Congressional pressure. Suite 8 software includes IFF Mode 5, which modernizes the ability to identify the A-10 to friendly units. Additionally, the Pave Penny pods and pylons are being removed as their receive-only capability has been replaced by the AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT targeting pods or Sniper XR targeting pod, which both have laser designators and laser rangefinders.

In 2012, Air Combat Command requested the testing of a 600-US-gallon (2,300 l; 500 imp gal) external fuel tank which would extend the A-10's loitering time by 45-60 minutes; flight testing of such a tank had been conducted in 1997 but did not involve combat evaluation. Over 30 flight tests were conducted by the 40th Flight Test Squadron to gather data on the aircraft's handling characteristics and performance across different load configurations. It was reported that the tank slightly reduced stability in the yaw axis, but there was no decrease in aircraft tracking performance.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a USAF Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft that was attached to the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Termites", then deployed to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, during 1990. Pre-order! Ship Date: September 2025.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8-3/4-inches
Length: 9-3/4-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Termites" - The 47th Fighter Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it flies the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and is assigned to the 924 Fighter Group.

The squadron was first activated in 1940, as the United States expanded its military forces prior to World War II, as the 47th Pursuit Squadron. The squadron formed part of the air defenses of the Hawaiian Islands, and suffered heavy losses in the attack on Pearl Harbor. It served in Hawaii and the Pacific for the remainder of the war, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for long-range fighter missions over Japan in 1945. It returned to Hawaii in 1946 and was inactivated.

The squadron was activated again as the 47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in 1952, when it replaced an Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War and was being returned to state control. It continued in the air defense role until inactivating in 1960. It was activated again in 1962 as the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron and became one of the first McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighter units, flying the Phantom until 1971, and deploying elements to Southeast Asia. It was activated again in the Reserve in 1973 and has served as an Air Force Reserve fighter squadron since then.