Documents
United States Legacy Boeing
A-10 Thunderbolt II
Twin-engine close air support jet built around the GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon, designed for anti-armor work and survivability at low altitude. Originally built by Fairchild Republic; type certificate now held by Boeing following corporate mergers.
In service since 1977 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
706
km/h
4,150
km range
13,700
m ceiling
7,260
kg payload
💲 ≈ $19,000,000 — Historical unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1977. Status: legacy · ~716 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$48M – $67M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 706 km/h Bottom 1% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 4,150 km Top 6% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 460 km Bottom 10% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 13,700 m Bottom 6% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 11 Stronger than 76% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 7,260 kg Stronger than 47% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Titanium armor bathtub around cockpit
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 16.26 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 17.53 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.47 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 11,321 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 22,950 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- General Electric TF34-GE-100A turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 40 kN Bottom 1% of fighters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $19,000,000 Top 2% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 716 Stronger than 84% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II has a maximum speed of 706 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II has a maximum range of 4,150 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II can carry up to 7,260 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II weigh? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II has a combat weight of 22,950 kg.
How many crew does the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II require? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II's primary weapon is the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon.
What engine does the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II use? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II is powered by the General Electric TF34-GE-100A turbofan.
What is the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II used for? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II is a fighter aircraft typically used for close air support, anti armor.
How many countries operate the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II cost? +
The Boeing A-10 Thunderbolt II has an approximate unit cost of 19,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Lockheed Martin
F-22A Raptor
Dassault Aviation
Rafale F4
Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin