The first Air Force aircraft to be designed specifically for close-air support of ground forces, the A-10 Thunderbolt II takes its name from the P-47 Thunderbolt used in World War II for dive bombing and strafing in close-air support. The A-10 is a simple, effective, and survivable twin-engine aircraft that can be used against all ground targets including tanks and other armored vehicles.

Designed to be responsive to the immediate needs of the Army combat commander, the A-10 can loiter for hours in the battle area. It can operate under 1,000-foot ceilings with approximately one-mile visibility. The A-10's short takeoff and landing capability permits operations in and out of locations near the front lines. Many aircraft parts, including engines, main landing gear, and vertical stabilizers, are interchangeable left and right and can be switched in field maintenance conditions. The redundant primary structural parts also enable the aircraft to sustain heavy damage and keep flying. With titanium armor plate protecting the pilot and flight controls, self-sealing fuel cells, and a redundant flight-control hydraulics system backed up by a manual system, the A-10 can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive 23mm projectiles.

The single-seat cockpit forward of the wings has a large trans-parent bubble canopy to provide the pilot all-around vision. It has a bulletproof windscreen, an environmental control system, and a Douglas ejection seat that is operable at speeds from 518 miles per hour down to zero speed at zero altitude.

The weapons delivery system on the A-10 includes a head-up display that gives airspeed, altitude, and dive angle on the wind-screen and a Pave Penny laser target-seeking pod under the fuse-lage. The A-10 also has an armament control panel, a gun camera, and infrared and electronic countermeasures to handle surface-to-air missile threats.

A GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm seven-barrel cannon was designed specifically to give the A-10 tank-killing capability. This gun fires armor-piercing projectiles that are capable of penetrating medium and heavy tanks The gun also can fire high explosive ammunition for use against trucks and other ground targets. The ability of the A-10 and the cannon's accuracy allow the pilot to bring it into action quickly even under adverse weather and visibility conditions. The GAU-8/A cannon fires at either 4,200 rounds per minute.

The first production A-10 flew in October 1975. Delivery of this model began in March 1976 to the 333rd Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The first operational wing, the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach Force Base, South Carolina, began receiving A-10s in The wing became operational in October 1977.