A-10 THUNDERBOLT (IMAGE) Southwest Research Institute Caption The A-10 Thunderbolt, a close air support attack aircraft first introduced in the 1970s, is one of three aging military aircraft that SwRI will help the U.S. Air Force maintain under a pair of new contracts totaling $23 million. Credit United States Air Force Usage Restrictions Images/Videos may be used by the public for educational and informational purposes only. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.