Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

Dubbed 'Warthog' - or just 'Hog' - by those who fly and maintain it, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is the world's undisputed close air support attack jet. As tough as it is ugly, it has built a fearsome reputation as a tank buster and infantry killer in conflicts around the globe, and its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon strikes fear into the hearts of all unlucky enough to be on the wrong side of it.he A-10 was clutched from the jaws of retirement by the 1991 Gulf War. At the time of the conflict, the United States Air Force was making plans to shed it's A-10 fleet, citing obsolescence and redundancy. As the ensuing conflict showed, nothing could have been further from the truth, and no other airframe could have provided the US and Coalition commanders with the sort of forward air control, close air support, combat search and rescue, and tank busting capabilities that the Hog did. Since then the A-10 has delivered capabilities to battlefield commanders in the Balkans (1990s), Afghanistan (2001 onwards) and the second Gulf War (2003 onwards), and Libya (2011). A-10s have flown around 11 per cent of Operation Inherent Resolve sorties (striking IS targets in Iraq) since combat operations began in August 2014.

Supranumit „Warthog” - sau doar „Hog” - de catre cei care il zboara si il intretin, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II este jetul de atac de sprijin aerian apropiat din lume. Pe cat de dur, pe atat de urat, si-a construit o reputatie de temut ca autobuz de tancuri si ucigas de infanterie in conflicte de pe glob, iar tunul sau GAU-8 Avenger de 30 mm loveste teama in inimile tuturor celor destul de nefericiti pentru a fi pe partea gresita a A-10 a fost scos din falcile retragerii de razboiul din 1991 din Golf.