A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for December 2009

by Joachim Jacob

From the "Airpower Summaries", released as U.S. Air Forces Central press releases on USAFCENT's official public website, for December 2009 I extracted and edited all available info related to A-10 Thunderbolt II combat missions in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom). The mostly daily airpower summaries for OEF and OIF are provided by Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC) officials at Al Udeid AB, Qatar.

Currently deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, is the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron with elements of the 354th Fighter Squadron "Bulldogs", 355th Fighter Wing (Air Combat Command), Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona (including 12 A-10Cs). Already identified as deployed are eleven aircraft: 78-0709 (still without new unit markings), 79-0202, 80-0142, 80-0150, 80-0155, 80-0179, 80-0280, 80-0246 (still without new unit markings), 81-0948, 81-0950, 82-0663.

For latest non-official A-10 Kandahar pictures please check: Michael_Yon

BTW: Michael Yon is an author, columnist and war correspondent - currently in Afghanistan. I already asked him for permission to post his exclusive Kandahar A-10 shots on my blog.

Special thanks to Warthog News contributor John Bezosky, United States, for submitting this very hot photo link via facebook!

Dec 1:

No A-10 info

Dec 2:

Surkhabad
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were providing armed overwatch for friendly forces. When the friendly forces reported taking enemy, a request for air power support was made. The enemy fire point of origin was confirmed and meanwhile the enemy fire ceased. On further checking, the enemy had vacated the enemy firing point, the decision was made to destroy the enemy position and render it useless to the enemy for future use. A precision guided munition destroyed the enemy target. A show of force was then conducted to ensure the enemy did not return to the area.

Qalat
A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch and surveillance for a friendly forces patrol. The friendly forces reported unusual enemy activity in the area and receiving indirect enemy small arms fire. The enemy was observed to be on the move and a request for the last known enemy position to be marked with rockets was made. The enemy position was successfully marked with rockets.

Dec 3:

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were providing armed overwatch and surveillance for friendly forces. When the friendly forces reported taking enemy fire, the point of origin was confirmed to be from an enemy compound. A strafing run was made that destroyed the enemy position and stopped the enemy fire.

Dec 4:

No A-10 info

Dec 5:

No A-10 info

Dec 6:

Musa Qaleh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were in the skies providing overwatch and surveillance for friendly forces. The aircraft observed enemy personnel closing on friendly forces and requested permission to neutralize the threat potential. A strafing run was directed on the enemy force that thwarted the enemy action and allowed the friendly forces to close in and engage the enemy in a counter attack. The enemy was defeated. Several shows of force were later made to continue deterrence of any enemy action.

Bastion
A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch for Coalition forces. When the Coalition forces reported they were taking enemy small arms fire, a show of force was performed to stop the enemy fire. The show of force (with flares expended) was reported as successful when the enemy fire ceased and allowed the Coalition to evacuate the area.

Dec 7:

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt and Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for suspicious activity near friendly forces and a Coalition forces patrol. When the friendly forces reported receiving enemy small arms fire from enemy compounds, shows of force were requested to deter the enemy action. The Coalition patrol also requested a show of force to deter any enemy action while enroute to their destination. The shows of force were successful as the enemy fire ceased and further enemy action was deterred.

Dec 8

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for friendly forces. When the friendly forces reported receiving enemy small arms fire, a show of force was requested to deter the enemy action. The show of force was successful as the enemy fire ceased and further enemy action was deterred.

Dec 9:

No A-10 info

Dec 10:

Shurakian
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. Shows of force were requested to deter enemy action when enemy personnel were observed gathering in force. The shows of force were considered successful when the crowd dispersed and no further enemy action was noted.

Dec 11:

Mata Khan
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for a friendly forces convoy. A show of force was requested to deter enemy action when enemy personnel were reported firing on the friendly convoy. The show of force (with numerous flares expended) was considered successful when no further enemy action was noted.

Dec 12:

Surkhabad
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft were providing armed overwatch for Coalition forces. When the Coalition forces reported taking enemy fire, a request for air power support was made. The enemy fire points of origin were confirmed and passed to the aircraft. Rockets were fired on the coordinates to mark the enemy fighting positions for cannon fire strafing runs and release of precision guided munitions. The precision guided munitions destroyed the enemy positions and allowed the Coalition forces to extract themselves from the location.

Chahar Bagh
A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for a friendly forces patrol. When a vehicle in the area was hit with an improvised explosive device and disabled, a show of force to deter any potential enemy action was requested. The show of force was successfully performed when no enemy action as noted against the disabled vehicle.

A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for a friendly forces patrol. When the friendly patrol reported taking enemy fire, shows of force to deter any further enemy action were requested. The shows of force were successfully performed when no enemy action was noted. The aircraft observed an enemy vehicle trailing the friendly patrol and performed another show of force. The show of force successfully deterred any potential enemy action as the enemy vehicle ceased following the friendly patrol.

Dec 13:

No A-10 info

Dec 14:

Tarin Kowt
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch a friendly forces convoy. The aircraft provided route reconnaissance for the convoy and then the friendly forces requested shows of force to deter any enemy activity. The shows of force were successful in deterring any potential enemy action as none was noted.

Dec 15:

Surkhabad
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. The friendly forces reported receiving enemy small arms fire and requested immediate air power assistance. An enemy compound was confirmed as point of origin for the enemy fire and precision guided munitions along with a strafing run ended all enemy action from the enemy position.

Gardez
A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch for a friendly forces patrol. The friendly patrol requested a show of force to deter any enemy activity when suspicious activity was noted along a common convoy route. The show of force was successful in deterring any potential enemy action.

Dec 16:

Tarin Kowt
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for Coalition forces. The Coalition forces reported taking enemy fire and requested air power assistance to terminate the enemy action. Strafing runs were made on the area of the enemy fire and the enemy fire was successfully ended.

Qal-E-Naw
A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch and reconnaissance for friendly forces conducting humanitarian aide at a local school. Nearby friendly forces reported receiving enemy small arms fire and requested immediate air power assistance. A show of force was performed in the area and was deemed successful when the enemy fire ceased.

Chahar Bagh
A-10 and Navy F/A-18C Hornet aircraft provided armed overwatch for a friendly forces patrol doing a routine sweep of a bazaar. The friendly forces reported indiscriminate enemy fire and requested shows of force to deter enemy action. The shows of force were considered successfully performed when the enemy action ceased

Dec 17:

No A-10 info

Dec 18:

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. The friendly forces reported taking enemy fire and requested air power assistance. A show of force (with numerous flares expended) was performed and ended the enemy small arms fire.

Dec 19:

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. A show of force was performed to ensure no enemy action took place around the friendly forces. The show of force was considered successful when no enemy action was noted.

Dec 20:

Chahar Bagh
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft flew armed overwatch for friendly forces and Coalition forces. Both forces reported receiving enemy fire and requested air support. The aircraft confirmed they had observed the point of origin for the enemy fire and engaged with strafing runs that eliminated the enemy fire.

Dec 21:

Kandahar
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for a friendly forces operation. When enemy forces were observed about to engage the friendly forces, a request to deter the enemy action was made. Precision guided munitions were released on the enemy position, eliminating the threat to friendly forces.

Later, Coalition aircraft were on patrol, searching for improvised explosive device emplacers. Personnel were observed digging in a suspicious area and a show of force was requested to deter any potential threatening action. The show of force was performed with no visible effect to possible emplacers and after further observation it was thought they might be working on irrigation system for crops.

Musa Qala
A-10 aircraft flew armed overwatch and reconnaissance for friendly forces. When the friendly forces reported taking enemy small arms fire, shows of force were requested to deter the enemy fire. The shows of force were successful in ceasing enemy action and allowed allowing the friendly forces to safely egress from the area.

Dec 22:

Kandahar
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for a friendly forces operation. When enemy forces were observed moving to a fighting position, a request to deter the enemy was made. Cannon fire strafing runs were made on the new enemy fighting position eliminating the threat to friendly forces.

Later, under similar circumstances A-10 aircraft conducted several strafing runs on enemy fighting positions to protect friendly forces operations.

Dec 23:

Surkhabad
Navy F/A-18C Hornet and Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. The friendly forces requested shows of force be performed to deter any potential enemy action. The shows of force were performed (with flares expended) and were considered successful as no enemy fire was noted.

A-10 aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. When suspicious enemy action was observed at an enemy fighting position, a request to neutralize the enemy position was made. Precision guided munitions and a cannon fire strafing run were made on the enemy position destroying the position and eliminating threat to friendly forces.

Dec 24:

Shurikian
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. The friendly forces reported unusual activities as unidentified personnel were seen gathering in the open. They requested a show of force. The show of force was performed to ensure no enemy action took place around the convoy. The show of force was considered successful when no enemy action was noted and the personnel dispersed.

Dec 25:

No A-10 info

Dec 26:

No A-10 info

Dec 27:

Qalat
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for a Coalition forces operation. A request for support was made when enemy forces attacked Coalition forces. Precision guided munitions were released on the enemy fighting position eliminating the threat to Coalition forces.

Dec 28:

No A-10 info

Dec 29:

Balocan
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch for friendly forces. When friendly forces reported taking enemy small-arms fire they requested air support. The points of origin for the enemy fire were confirmed and coordinates passed to the aircraft. The aircraft marked the target with rockets, then made numerous cannon-fire strafing runs on the enemy fighting position along a treeline. The strafing runs successfully ended the enemy fire against friendly forces.

Dec 30:

No A-10 info

Dec 31:

Musa Qala
A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft provided armed overwatch and surveillance for a friendly-forces patrol. The convoy reported taking accurate enemy fire and requested close air support. The aircraft observed and confirmed the location of the enemy fighting position and requested permission to engage enemy forces. Several strafing runs using cannon rounds were made that eliminated the threat to the friendly-forces patrol. Later, when the patrol attempted to do battle damage assessment, enemy fire started again, several shows of force were conducted but did not deter the enemy fire. More cannon-fire strafing runs were made and the enemy fire ceased, allowing the BDA to be completed.

See also:
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for November 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for October 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for September 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for August 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for July 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for June 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for May 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for April 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for March 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for February 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for January 2009
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for December 2008
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for November 2008
A-10 Afghanistan Combat Summary for October 2008