Originally Posted by M21Sniper

The 7 bbl gun from the A-10 fires the extremely powerful 30x173mm cartridge. The gun of the Frogfoot fires a much less powerful round more comparable to the NATO 30mm 'light' round(as used by the Apache, etc).

The GAU-8/A Avenger cannon is 21 feet long and weighs over 3,000lbs. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 4200 rpm. It has an ammunition capacity of 1176rds of 30mm, typicly loaded in a 'party mix' of 1AP:2HE. With the USAF LASTE system the gun of the A-10 is far more employable and accurate than when it was first introduced.

The A-10 is also armored to the teeth with a titanium 'bathtub' that completely encircles the pilot.

The SU-25 is actually based on the loser of the competition that produced the A-10, the Northrop A-9.

BTW, at low altitude- an A-10 can outturn an F-16C.