An A-10C Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet was loaded with 16 GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB) bombs during a test flight at Eglin Air Force Base in February this year. The images, however, were disclosed last Friday (25).
The integration of precision bombs is part of the latest modernization program for the aircraft, called the A-10 Common Fleet Initiative. The work should allow the A-10 to be able to fly into the late 2030s and remain relevant against modern threats in this timeline.
According to the portal The Aviationist, the A-10 was capable of carrying a single guided bomb in each of the jet's 11 hangers. With the new integration, the A-10 will be able to carry 16 bombs divided into four hangers, becoming a true “Bomb Truck”.
The SDB integration program with the A-10 has been taking place since 2020, with development tests conducted by the 1st Detachment of the 40th Test Squadron.
Manufactured by Boeing Defense, the GBU-39 is a lightweight 285-pound (130 kg) bomb with a fragmentation warhead for stationary targets and guided by GPS and/or Inertial Navigation System (INS). Four bombs are carried in the BRU-61/A rack, which provides the complete communication interface between the SDB and the aircraft.
With a pair of folding wings that extend after launch, the GBU-39 is capable of hovering and hitting targets up to 80,4 km with precision. In this way, a target can be engaged from long distances, allowing the launch aircraft to remain out of range of anti-aircraft guns and other threats.
The armament was initially integrated into the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bomber, and was later deployed to the F-16, F-22, JAS-39 Gripen and AC-130W Stinger II air aircraft. In the future, the bomb should also be part of the arsenal of the F-35 stealth fighter and B-1, B-2, B-21 and B-52 bombers.
In addition to the integration with the GBU-39, the A-10 Common Fleet Initiative foresees the incorporation of improvements to the Thales/Visionix Scorpion helmet with integrated display (HMD).
The equipment has been used by pilots since 2012 and brings a significant increase in situational awareness and agility for target engagement. The HMD is getting the HObIT (Hybrid Optical-based Inertial Tracker) sensor, which tracks the pilot's head movements more accurately.
The modernization will also replace the last analog displays (speedometer, altimeter, ADI, HSI, turn indicators and vertical speed) with a digital system similar to that used in the F-16 fighters of the Air National Guard.
The A-10 will also receive the Link 16 datalink to complement the Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL), introduced with the Precision Engagement update that changed the aircraft's designation from A-10A to A-10C.
The last known update is the integration of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) pod, to complement the deployment of the Litening and Sniper identification and guidance pods. The model of the SAR pod has not been confirmed, but it is believed to be the AN/ASQ-236 Dragon's Eye, already operational in the F-15E.
The Common Fleet Initiative began in 2019 with the completion of the first A-10 wing swap contract. In July of that year, the installation of 173 new pairs of wings manufactured by Boeing was completed. The following month, the US Air Force awarded Boeing a second contract, worth up to $999 million, which will supply 112 new wing assemblies, completing the component replacement of all 281 A-10s currently in cargo.
