The A-10 is still one of the most successful combat aircraft for close support/ground attack missions and can carry up to 8 tonnes of weapons. It received the nickname "Flying Cannon". In fact the A-10 was designed around one of the most powerful American cannons - the General Electric GAU-8A Avenger - a seven barrel rotary Gatling gun. The whole system, built as a single unit with barrels and attached ammunition tank, weighs 1830 kg and is 6.4 m long. It carries 1174 calibre 30 mm shells each with a weight of 700 g. The pilot sits in a 408 kg titanium "bathtub". The A-10 is a robust and powerful weapons system for ground attack with very limited electronics. However it was missions in Kosovo and later in the various warlike confrontations in the Gulf region on which the almost legendary reputation of the A-10 was founded. Its performance potential was further enhanced by later modification programmes to its improve its combat capability.