As I stated in the header, I am curious as to why the A-10A Early has access to GBU-8s while the A-10A Late does not. Here are the loadout charts for each vehicle:
A-10A Early:
A-10A Late:
Surely the A-10A Late could carry ordinance that the A-10A Early could carry right? Is there any specific reasoning behind this discrepancy? If possible, could/will the A-10A Late receive GBU-8s in the future?
Thank you for your time.
Yes in this case
This is was on display at Farnborough in 1982. It shows AN/ALR-69 and the other hallmarks of a late-production A-10A, carrying a GBU-8.
The A-10A with AN/ALR-46 as we have ingame as the early premium A-10A were in production until 1978, and any serial after 78-0582 is a “late” A-10A with AN/ALR-69.
The aircraft pictured is a 1981-built aircraft (81-0009/81-0947), so from the final years of A-10A production and among the last 50 built.
