The U.S. Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Forces have aircraft for supporting ground troops. These are the American single-seat, twin-engine A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft and the Soviet attack aircraft, the armored subsonic military aircraft Su-25. This is according to Bulgarian Military.
A-10 pilots destroy armored vehicles, including using the 30-mm GAU-8/A cannon. The attack aircraft maneuvers slowly at low altitudes. The Su-25 is distinguished by its speed and maneuverability, delivering rapid strikes even in difficult weather conditions. Although its cannon is not as powerful as the A-10's, the Su-25 can carry a wider range of weapons.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft was developed to counter tank threats. It was first used in combat in 1972. In turn, the Su-25 first appeared in battle during the Afghan war in the late 1970s.
The U.S. plans to gradually phase out the A-10 and update its fleet with advanced F-35 Lightning II multirole combat aircraft. And Russia decided to modernize the Su-25 to the Su-25M3 version. The Russian Aerospace Forces still consider this attack aircraft an important part of providing direct air support to troops.
Read more on the topic:
"Sparrow on Steroids with a Nasty Character": Military Expert Compares Yak-130M and Su-25
"Su-25 Behaves Aggressively in Battle": Russian Pilot Explains Why the F-16 Poses No Threat
