They officially call it the A-10 Thunderbolt, but because of how ugly and rugged it is, another moniker for it is Warthog. We’re talking about a plane like none other in the arsenal of the world militaries, old, but still capable of making a splash on the battlefield, or into the headlines from time to time.
The A-10 came into being in 1975. It was not meant as a fighter jet per se, and not as a bomber either. Its official role is that of close air support for ground forces, and it is properly equipped for the task – we’re talking here, of course, mainly about the brutal Gatling gun that spits high-velocity projectiles at a rapid rate. And it can do so from as high as 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) into a target area of just 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter.
The A-10 is so unique that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) plans to keep it in service longer, even as part of the streamlined fleet of aircraft it plans, which only includes the F-35, F-15EX, F-16, and the future Next Generation Air Dominance.
The USAF has about 281 Thunderbolts in operation at the moment, and no new ones are being made. One of them can be admired in this recent pic released by the USAF from the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR).
The plane belongs to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and was snapped on camera just as it was moving away from a small mountain range in the area, while behind those peaks storm clouds seemed to rapidly gather and follow the plane in.
Combined, these three elements, both natural and human-made, fit so well together they make for too great of an image not to include in our Photo of the Day coverage this weekend, so here you have it.
The A-10 is so unique that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) plans to keep it in service longer, even as part of the streamlined fleet of aircraft it plans, which only includes the F-35, F-15EX, F-16, and the future Next Generation Air Dominance.
The USAF has about 281 Thunderbolts in operation at the moment, and no new ones are being made. One of them can be admired in this recent pic released by the USAF from the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR).
The plane belongs to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and was snapped on camera just as it was moving away from a small mountain range in the area, while behind those peaks storm clouds seemed to rapidly gather and follow the plane in.
Combined, these three elements, both natural and human-made, fit so well together they make for too great of an image not to include in our Photo of the Day coverage this weekend, so here you have it.