The A-10 has great marketing, almost like the Marine Corps. The truth is a bit more complicated. Yes the A-10 would have been capable in the Fulda Gap, but it

The A-10 has great marketing, almost like the Marine Corps. The truth is a bit more complicated. Yes the A-10 would have been capable in the Fulda Gap, but it would have suffered tremendous losses against Soviet air defenses. The depth and breadth of these defenses are astonishing for the time. You would start with the SA-6 for ingress/approach, then the SA-8 Gecko for closer. Finally you would have to deal with SA-7/SA-9, and of course the ZSU-23-4 Shilka. This is just what you would have faced against a moving enemy. Fixed positions would have quite a bit of AAA as well. You'd also have to contend with Soviet Frontal Aviation. These units weren't nearly as good as the F-4/15/16/Mirages they would have faced, but they'd still be a threat until a reliable CAP was in place. Maverick targeting during the 80s was pretty primitive (this was way before LANTIRN/SNIPER etc), and the Maverick wasn't fire and forget at the time. Lots of attrition. Also, helicopters like the AH1/Lynx/B105 would have had similar fates.