Watch A-10 Thunderbolt attack planes drop bombs, fire gun on shooting range in Central Europe

U.S. Air Force A-10s deployed to Germany train at the Nordhorn firing range.

Last month, the U.S. Air Force has deployed 12 A-10 Thunderbolt attack planes from the 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, to Spangdahlem airbase, in Germany, as part of a so-called TSP (theater security package).

For about 6 months, the A-10s will operate in Germany and in eastern Europe (most probably in Poland) to augment U.S. Air Force in Europe support to Operation Atlantic Resolve, and reassure regional allies.

During their deployment, the Thunderbolts will conduct daily training sorties in Central Europe; on Mar. 5, some “Hogs” (as the A-10s are dubbed among the fighter pilots community) visited the Nordhorn range, in north western Germany, where they were filmed dropping bombs and using their GAU-8 Avenger 30 mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-type (the same heavily used to attack ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq).

H/T to Glen Towler for the heads-up

 

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.