# Can an A-10 "Warthog" use a JATO? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089 "2006-04-25T02:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089/1 "2006-04-25T02:04:24Z")
Just a quick military aircraft question…does anyone happen to know if an A-10 “Warthog” is able to use a JATO rocket for takeoffs? I mean, for day-to-day operations, this probably isn’t even an issue. But the military has been [known to test](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Credible_Sport) out [crazier things](http://www.scenery.org/c-130.htm). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089/2 "2006-04-25T03:11:10Z")
Former USAF pilot, non A-10 type. I’m pretty sure JATO (RATO really) disappeared in the 1960s, except possibly for some real special purpose uses like C-130 resupply in Antarctica. The A-10 dates from the late 70s / early 80s. As well, the typical JATO installation was intended to get really big airplanes up to speed. For something as small as an A-10, the standard JATO packs would have been too big. So all in all, I’d be amazed to hear that they every messed with that particular combination. I know I never heard about it. I know that’s just anecdote & speculation, but it’s all I have to offer. My Google-fu was unable to find anything about the decomissioning of JATO, but I also haven’t been able to find any references to use of it with dates much after 1972 in Viet Nam ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089/3 "2006-04-25T04:05:06Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I know that’s just anecdote & speculation, but it’s all I have to offer. My Google-fu was unable to find anything about the decomissioning of JATO, but I also haven’t been able to find any references to use of it with dates much after 1972 in Viet Nam The Blue Angels use JATO on their C-130 (aka Fat Albert) for demonstration purposes. Other than that I have no idea, but it does suggest that it is still being used because limited manufacture of the JATO rockets for that purpose only would be prohibitively expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089/4 "2006-04-25T10:00:08Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > My Google-fu was unable to find anything about the decomissioning of JATO, but I also haven’t been able to find any references to use of it with dates much after 1972 in Viet Nam Just to continue the hijack, there was a plan in 1980 to rescue the US hostages held in Tehran using a [JATO assisted C130](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Credible_Sport) (this was after [plan I](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw) didn’t go too well) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-a-10-warthog-use-a-jato/354089/5 "2006-04-25T20:44:30Z")
Psst, **Tapioca** , that’s not a hijack. See the first link in the OP.