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A-10 Warthog: 50 Facts About This Legendary Aircraft

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The A-10 Warthog. The official designation for this aircraft is the A-10 Thunderbolt II, named after its illustrious WWII predecessor the P-47 Thunderbolt. However, one interesting A-10 fact is that the nickname “Warthog” is so popular and well loved that it appears in official documents. This is a beloved airframe: a robust ground attack aircraft proven time and again in battle. And the stories behind it are just as interesting as its combat record.

The A-10 Warthog Was Designed to Meet the Changing Needs of War

A-10 Warthog
An F-22 Raptor with the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, departs Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio Oct. 11, 2016. The Raptors were sheltered here by the 121st Air Refueling Wing during Hurricane Matthew.
Tech. Sgt. Nathan Lipscomb, U.S. Air Force: A-10 Warthog

The A-10 Warthog reflects the changing nature of warfare at the time. As the Vietnam conflict developed, it became apparent that the U.S. Military needed a new generation of ground-attack aircraft. These birds must be faster and more robust to deliver firepower to the battlefield while evading enemy fire. The U.S. Army solution was the development of a new generation of attack helicopter, beginning with the AH-1 Cobra and culminating years later with the AH-64 Apache. The Air Force had another idea, and looked for a fixed wing solution. The existing prop-driven attack planes were woefully ill suited, so they took things in a new direction. Enter: The A-10 Warthog.