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Mention the words "30mm GAU-8 Avenger," and any military aviation enthusiast will immediately think of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the legendary ground-attack aircraft famous for its deep, growling BRRRT as it shreds tanks and armored vehicles with high-explosive rounds. The A-10 was built around this massive rotary cannon, and its firepower is unmatched in close air support missions. But what if I told you the A-10 wasn’t the only aircraft to carry this monster of a weapon?
Enter the Fairchild Republic YA-7F, a lesser-known experimental jet that packed the same devastating 30mm cannon. Based on the proven A-7 Corsair II, this aircraft was an attempt to merge the close-air-support firepower of the A-10 with the speed and agility of a jet fighter. The YA-7F was designed to be a supersonic evolution of the A-7, featuring a more powerful afterburning engine, strengthened airframe, and improved avionics. While it retained much of the A-7’s attack capabilities, it was meant to be faster, deadlier, and more survivable in modern battlefields.
One of the key ideas behind the YA-7F was giving ground forces an alternative to the A-10—a jet that could deliver the same tank-killing firepower but with the ability to arrive faster and escape threats more effectively. The aircraft was capable of carrying the GAU-8 Avenger, the same seven-barrel rotary cannon that defines the A-10’s fearsome reputation. In theory, this would have given it the same brutal anti-armor capabilities while allowing it to operate in contested airspace where the slower A-10 might struggle.
Unfortunately for the YA-7F, it was a plane born in the wrong era. The Cold War was ending, and the U.S. military was shifting focus away from expensive new attack aircraft. With budget cuts and changing priorities, the project was canceled before the YA-7F could reach full production. The A-10 remained the undisputed king of the 30mm BRRRT, and no other aircraft since has truly attempted to replicate its role.
Though the YA-7F never saw combat, it remains an interesting "what if" in military aviation history. It was a glimpse into an alternate future—one where the A-10 might have shared the battlefield with another GAU-8-wielding warrior, bringing the sound of BRRRT to the skies in a whole new way.