A-10 ground support plane (Tiberian Dawn)

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the A-10 Warthog, was a ground support aircraft used by GDI during the First Tiberium War.

Background
The A-10 was built for high-survivability, featuring titanium construction and multiply-redundant systems, which allowed it to get into even heavily defended enemy centers, although SAM sites would take a toll. A-10s were too expensive to upkeep to be readily available to most commanders thus most GDI commanders had to request individual air strikes from special air bases. A-10s would generally only been dispatched after all enemy anti aircraft defenses, such as SAM sites, in an area had been destroyed. First versions of the A-10 existed as far back as the Great World War II, but were used in limited numbers and at the prototypical stage. In many cases, Nod also was able to use captured A-10's, and in the postwar situation, they acquired the blueprints.

The A-10s used during the First Tiberium War were armed with a number of napalm bombs, which created a small cloud of flame upon the target. This meant that it was murderously effective against infantry and highly damaging against structures. Considering that Nod concentrated on lightly armored vehicles, it was also effective against most Nod vehicles, including, ironically, flame tanks. When an airstrike was ready, commanders selected a particular point on the battlefield. Nod infantry and armor concentrations as well as Nod bases in general were primary targets. The A-10s then began a bombing run against the target, generally dropping bombs in a circular pattern. Depending on the mission priority, up to 3 A-10s could be assigned. Together, 3 of them could lay waste to enemy structures, and remove infantry from an area. Additionally, A-10s were also equipped with a GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun. These Gatling guns fired 30 mm depleted uranium shells, capable of destroying a tank in six shots. It was used occasionally as precision attack weapon, but GDI preferred using napalm as an area effect weapon.

However, despite their solid construction, A-10s could still be brought down by SAM Sites, especially in numbers. Depending on how this occurred, the A-10s might or might not have an opportunity to drop bombs. Owing to their much smaller range and lesser anti-aircraft power, missiles fired by stealth tanks and rocket infantry were generally ineffective.

A-10s were replaced in their role by Orca Bombers after the First Tiberium War, mainly because the A-10s were too slow for GDI forces, but also due to geopolitical reasons - the United Nations banned the use of napalm, gas, and depleted uranium rounds. Nod, in the situation following the First Tiberium War, increasingly started to use the A-10, both in the Nod intervene conflict, and in attacks on GDI (in one instance in Africa, where GDI troops had to recapture a command post Nod had taken and reinforced, GDI troops were startled to see A-10s bombing their positions). Eventually though, many fell increasingly to GDI, to the point where few squadrons remained in the world by the time point that Nod was reunited, leaving the Brotherhood without a tactical bomber in most cases in the Second Tiberium War. After the Brotherhood broke up again following Kane's second demise, A-10s presumably still played the role they did before, to facilitate bombing runs on enemy positions. In the postwar situation, eventually it was deemed that the A-10 had finally become too old, and thus Nod would eventually acquire tactical bombers in the form of the Vertigo and Armageddon before the Third Tiberium War. However, for what few A-10s still remained, they presumably still stick to their old aircraft, and would continue to serve the Brotherhood even into the post-Third War world.