Is Russia's Su-25 Really Similiar to the A-10 Warthog?

My money is on the A-10

Thanks Chief! They keep upgrading it, but left out some key statistics: SU-25: Range: 1,000 km ( 540 nmi) clean; Combat range: 750 km (405 nmi) at sea level with 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) of ordnance and two external fuel tanks. Guns: 1 × 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 autocannon with 250 rounds ammo. A-10: Range: 2,240 nmi (4,150 km) with 50 knot headwinds, 20 minutes reserve; Combat radius: CAS mission: 250 nmi (460 km) at 1.88 hour loiter at 5,000 ft (1,500 m), 10 min combat Anti-armor mission: 252 nmi (467 km), 40 nmi (75 km)) sea-level penetration and exit, 30 min combat; Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon with 1,174 rounds (capacity 1,350 rd). So, the A-10 can fly over four times as far (or loiter four times as long), and it has over four times the gun ammo load. I think the A-10 is the easy winner. Not even close.

A-10 Armament: Armament:
30 mm GAU-8/A cannon; up to 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pound Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick; AIM-9 Sidewinder.

A-10 Durability:
The A-10 is exceptionally tough, being able to survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23 mm. It has double-redundant hydraulic flight systems, and a mechanical system as a back up if hydraulics are lost. Flight without hydraulic power uses the manual reversion control system; pitch and yaw control engages automatically, roll control is pilot-selected. In manual reversion mode, the A-10 is sufficiently controllable under favorable conditions to return to base, though control forces are greater than normal. The aircraft is designed to be able to fly with one engine, one half of the tail, one elevator, and half of a wing missing.[61]
The cockpit and parts of the flight-control system are protected by 1,200 lb (540 kg) of titanium aircraft armor, referred to as a "bathtub".[62][63] The armor has been tested to withstand strikes from 23 mm cannon fire and some strikes from 57 mm rounds.[58][62] It is made up of titanium plates with thicknesses from 0.5 to 1.5 inches (13 to 38 mm) determined by a study of likely trajectories and deflection angles. The armor makes up almost 6 percent of the aircraft's empty weight. Any interior surface of the tub directly exposed to the pilot is covered by a multi-layer nylon spall shield to protect against shell fragmentation.[64][65] The front windscreen and canopy are resistant to small arms fire.[66]


This A-10 piloted by Captain Kim Campbell suffered extensive damage during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, including damage to the hydraulic system, but she flew it safely back to base on manual reversion mode.
The A-10's durability was demonstrated on 7 April 2003 when Captain Kim Campbell, while flying over Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, suffered extensive flak damage. Iraqi fire damaged one of her engines and crippled the hydraulic system, requiring the aircraft's stabilizer and flight controls to be operated via the 'manual reversion mode.' Despite this damage, Campbell flew the aircraft for nearly an hour and landed safely.[67][68]