a77's soup

The A-10 is the pinnacle of modern combat aircraft technology. With it's GAU-8 gatling cannon, it is an unparalleled force on the battlefield, able to decimate ground targets with ease while remaining well outside anti-aircraft unit range. In addition, multiple hardpoints on either wing allow AMRAAM missiles to be attached, enabling the A-10 to defeat aerial targets as well as land based targets. 

But it's combat capabilities are merely the tip of the iceberg. The General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines are some of the most efficient engines ever built, getting an incredible 86 knots per gallon of fuel spent. The A-10 is one of the first 'green' gunships built, and shows that the Air Force cares about the environment. 

The A-10 also leaves virtually no logistical footprint - once in the air, the A-10 can keep itself resupplied almost indefinitely by mining the air for minerals and processing them into ammunition. Solar panels on the wings allow the A-10 to remain airborne, though it will operate at a reduced speed. Life support systems installed will keep the crew comfortable regardless of what the enemy can throw at them - in effect, once the A-10 goes up, it has the option of never coming down. As for being shot down, that's not an option either - the heavy tungsten carbide 'bathtub' around the fuselage render it immune to almost anything that could hit it, whether it be small arms, anti-aircraft cannon or missile, cruise missile, or ballistic missile - the armor plating will deflect more or less anything. 

Thanks to it's universal range, the A-10 can operate around the clock across the planet, striking at targets from up to 60km in the air and 250km away with its heavy cannon and missiles. As a strategic weapon, it is unparalleled, and it is the crown jewel of the US Air Force.