It is amazing to think that an aircraft that the USAF was thinking of removing from service in the early 1990s as it wasn't thought to be needed any more, is now going to be modified, upgraded and kept in service until at least 2028, by which time, many airframes will be well over 40 years old.

Developed to combat Soviet tanks on European battlefields, the A-10 has had nearly all of its war experience in the deserts of the Near East in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks to the rugged design of the aircraft and its redundant features, it has been able to not only perform its mission with aplomb, but in most cases, return home with its pilot after damage that would be catastrophic to other types. Not only that, but often these same planes are repaired and put back into service.

In this latest book in Squadron Signal's 'In Action' series, author and artist Lou Drendel takes a look at the A-10, including its development and long operational history. Naturally, the majority of the book concentrates on its war record from 1991 until today's operations. This includes a look at the various units who fly or have flown the aircraft. Despite a much smaller fleet than 10 or 15 years ago, there are enough extant airframes available to provide spares and to be brought back into service for many years to come.

The In Action series of 2010 is not the same as that in which most of us are familiar. Gone in this edition are the center page profiles, replaced by artwork by the author. Most of the images in the book are in full color, something we have come to expect on modern weapons systems. Many of these are from the very able USAF photographers, though some are from private collections. Since the A-10 was not built in a plethora of variants, some of the book harkens back to the initial In Action offerings and covers such things as pilot training and 'I was there' stories. Of course, the recent wars feature prominently.

In all, it makes for a superb edition and a nice improvement and upgrade over the initial offering of decades back. Hog fans will be sure to like this one.

August 2010

Thanks to Squadron Products for the review book. Get yours at your local shop today.

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