How much did an A-10 cost in 1970 dollars?

Short answer

The A-X competition set a unit cost of $1.4 million, a requirement of the specification rather than the price of a delivered aircraft. The same specification called for a maximum speed of 460 mph (400 kn; 740 km/h) and an external load of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg). The request for information was issued on March 6, 1967.

Published: November 2, 2026 · Updated: November 2, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How much did an A-10 cost in 1970 dollars?

Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in flightAndrew Basterfield (CC BY SA), vía commons

The figure set by the specification

The unit cost specified by the A-X RFP was US $1.4 million. The same specification included a maximum speed of 460 mph (400 kn; 740 km/h), a takeoff distance of 4,000 ft (1,200 m), an external load of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg), and a mission radius of 285 mi (460 km).

A competition opened in 1967

On March 6, 1967, the USAF had circulated a request for information on the A-X to 21 defense contractors. Six companies submitted aircraft proposals, and of these, Northrop and Fairchild Republic were chosen to build prototypes.

From the specification to the chosen aircraft

Northrop's YA-9 fully met the USAF's requirements, but on January 18, 1973, the YA-10 was declared the winner. The Air Force may have preferred that the YA-10 use the already established TF34 rather than the untested F102, and furthermore Fairchild had no alternative work and was unlikely to survive if it did not win the A-X contract. The announcement of the YA-10's selection for production came after testing and direct competition against the YA-9.