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New A-10 unit provides close air support

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton
  • 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan --  More than 200 Air Force pilots, maintainers and crew chiefs of the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and the 81st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron arrived on Kandahar Airfield May 11 to provide close air support throughout Afghanistan.

They are taking over from the Airmen of the 184th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron who have since returned home to Fort Smith, Ark.

"The mission of the unit is to provide close air support for coalition forces," said Lt. Col. Ronald Stuewe, commander, 81st EFS.

"That is the bread and butter of this aircraft and the bread and butter of the mission here. That's what we train to do and that is what we are here to execute," he said.

The two units are scheduled to be deployed here for four months, said Capt. Kathleen Fitzpatrick, commander of the 81st EAMXS.

They are assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
The units brought with them most of the support personnel, maintainers, aircrew flight equipment personnel, intelligence personnel, and medical personnel assigned to their home station, said Captain Fitzpatrick.

The average flying time for the A-10 unit has been low due to aircraft upgrades and flight restrictions at home station, said Colonel Stuewe, but the pilots were able to get phenomenal training hours in the States before coming here, he said.

Although this is the unit's first time at KAF, the A-10 unit has deployed to other locations in the area of responsibility.

"The duration of sorties is a little longer than we normally do but that's to be expected. We are extremely excited."

"One nice thing we like about the location is the proximity to all the back-shop support. It's all right here," he said.

"We are glad to be here and ready to go. We've hit the ground running. We've had a great start to what seems like a fantastic deployment," he said.

"The number one goal for our squadron is 100 percent positive impact to the battle space. That comes across in many forms. Not just pilots flying the aircraft, but our people launching the aircraft, as well," continued Colonel Stuewe.

The fighter squadron has recently completed upgrading the aircraft to the A-10C model, featuring new avionics and software systems.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II maneuvers at low air speeds and altitude and is a highly accurate weapons system. It is used to provide close air support and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

The Thunderbolt IIs have night-vision imaging systems.

The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles.
The aircraft's self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam.

Other upgrades include glass cockpit displays, moving map, hands on throttle and stick, digital stores management, advanced targeting pod integration, situational awareness data link, variable message format, GPS-guided weapons and upgraded DC power.

Avionics equipment includes multi-band communications, global positioning system and inertial navigations systems, infrared and electronic countermeasures against air-to-air and air-to-surface threats.

Manual systems back up their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.