But given the crucial role it plays providing close air support, something particularly helpful against enemies in a place like Iraq, the A-10 has many staunch defenders, including Senator John McCain. The Air Force wants to scuttle the 238 A-10s still in service, a move that would save $3.7 billion over five years-and make way for more sophisticated planes like the new F-35 Lightning II. The A-10 Thunderbolt IIcolloquially, the Warthog, the Hog, or sometimes just Hawgoccupies a unique space among America’s fixed-wing military aircraft: It was designed for air-to-surface attack. On 10 August 1972, the Air Force released proposal.
That makes the A-10 something of a zombie-it refuses to die. aircraft is designed to fly with one engine, one tail, one elevator and half a wing torn off.65. And that is why, despite ongoing efforts by Defense Department brass to kill it, the Warthog is headed back into battle to help in the fight against ISIS.Īn undisclosed number of Warthogs, part of the "Blacksnakes" 163rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron based at Fort Wayne, Indiana, have been deployed to Middle Eastern airbases to provide air cover to troops fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
But it is heavily armored and wickedly armed, making it a ruthlessly effective weapon. Air National Guard prepare A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft for shutdown after a mission at the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Oct. And it's about as sophisticated as a hammer. The original second stage A9 design was a refined A4 with swept wings. The plane, designed for the Cold War, is old. Test stands were built at Peenemuende for firings of the 200 metric ton thrust engine.
First flew on the 10th of May 1972, this ugly beast (thus its nickname: Warthog or Hog/Hawg), of Fairchild Republic celebrated its 50th anniversary. Air Force aircraft designed for close air support of ground forces. For more than 30 years, the A-10 Thunderbolt II-better known as the Warthog because it's so ugly-has performed a crucial role: attacking hostile targets that threaten troops on the ground, a task called close air support. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is nowadays the only U.S.
0 kommentar(er)
