The A-10 was designed to fly low across the battlefield to knock out enemy armour and artillery. It was built for a tough role close to enemy fire and its design reflects the hostile environment in which it was to fly and fight.

All controls are duplicated and will work even if hydraulic pressure is lost. The fuel tanks are filled with fire-retardant foam. The pilot sits in a 'bathtub' of titanium armour plate. The gun is the most powerful ever fitted to an aircraft. With seven barrels it has a normal firing rate of 35 rounds per second. Using depleted uranium armour-piercing ammunition, a hit by a single round will destroy any tank at a distance of one mile (1.6 km).

Turbofan engines are used for economy and, because they run cooler, they present less of a target for heat-seeking missiles. Mounting the engines high up on the upper rear fuselage gives them the best chance of surviving intense enemy fire, while the big control surfaces on the high lift wings make for agility in evasive manoeuvres. The aircraft can carry a wide range of rockets, missiles and bombs. Most prominent and lethal is the Maverick anti-armour missile.