“I’m rather baffled why the plane is so effective. You would think since it’s slower, ground to air hand held missiles could easily destroy it.”
According to the article, the titanium underbelly of the warthogs rendered the hand held missiles ineffective.
Uh ...No. Perhaps kryptonite missiles might work if the pilot were a chap named "Clark Kent?"
-— According to the article, the titanium underbelly of the warthogs rendered the hand held missiles ineffective. -—
Yowza! The pilot must take quite a jolt. The energy has to go somewhere.
There are many reasons why MANPADs don’t work well against the Hawg.
For starters, A-10s carry a large complement of flares which produce an IR signature stronger than the jet’s engines. Flares are one of the oldest counter-measures against heat-seeking missiles, but they have been updated, along with the dispenser, so the jet can dispense them at the right interval (and in the right number) to steer the missile away from the fighter.
Secondly, the A-10 flies low enough that it often blends in with surrounding terrain. In a desert area with sand dunes, rocky outcroppings and even mountains, the background terrain may appear “hotter” than the aircraft, and the missile seeker can’t distinguish the A-10 from a nearby dune, ridge, or elevated peak.
Third, many of the jihadists are still using first/second generation MANPADs, namely the SA-7/14 missiles that first appeared more than 40 years ago. All of the problems listed above are especially evident when you’re trying to use one of the old MANPADs against a low-flying target. And making matters worse, the oldest of the MANPADs can only be employed against a receding target. So, you’ve got to let the A-10 make his strafing run, the jump up and employ your weapon while the Hawg is puking flares. And that’s about the time his wingman rolls in Mohammed’s position.
Additionally, all MANPADs are limited by battery life. The first time you squeeze the trigger, the battery is activated and it powers up the seeker. With the older MANPADs, you have a very narrow window to lock on and engage the target before the battery goes dead. Less of a problem with the newer shoulder-fired SAMs, but every MANPAD gunner has to be cognizant of how much time they have left on the battery; once it dies, the weapon is useless until a new battery is installed.
And did I mention the pucker factor goes way, way up when you’re a jihadist going beak-to-beak with an A-10? A lot of terrorists have tried that little stunt, and the vast majority have suffered the consequences: DBDU, a.k.a. death by depleted uranium.
The titanium “tub” that surrounds the pilot does not make the A-10 impervious to MANPADs, but it does allow the Hawg to take more battle damage and make it back home. A good example is the A-10 that then-Captain Kim Campbell brought back, after being hit by AAA fire over Baghdad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Campbell_%28pilot%29
Very few jets can take that kind of damage and land safely.