Decades Before The A-10, This German Jet Fighter Revolutionized Close Air Support

Guess again if you assumed close air support (CAS) jets were some kind of modern concept. Granted, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and its gargantuan 30mm rotary cannon are better at CAS than any other aircraft in history. But strafing ground targets in fast jet aircraft is a practice that dates back over 70 years. Before the A-10, and even before the close air support doctrine had been formalized, the German Luftwaffe was har... (continue reading...)