Dec 5, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: America's Toughest, Ugliest Warplane Is Going Back Into Battle

Senior Airman Greg L. Davis
01
Kosovo
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the Warthog, is old and ugly, but effective.
U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina D. Ponte
02
Hawgsmoke 2006
Some in the military and in Congress have been looking to dismantle the one-trick Warthog in favor of more multipurpose platforms like the new F-35, but given the crucial role of close air support in protecting soldiers on the ground, the A-10 has many supporters.

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina D. Ponte
03
Hawgsmoke 2006
The A-10 carries a seven-barrel GAU-8 Avenger Gatling cannon, a 9-foot long gun that fires armor piercing 30mm shells at 3,900 rounds per minute and accounts for some 16 percent of the aircraft’s unladen weight.
U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina D. Ponte
04
Hawgsmoke 2006
The A-10's cockpit is surrounded by a giant tub of titanium, specifically designed to withstand fire from 23mm anti-aircraft shells at close range, a frankly ridiculous task.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Johnston
05
Warthog 101
The engines are designed to be easily and quickly replaced, and the plane itself is meant to work in austere environments with minimal maintenance and upkeep.
U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Rob Wieland
06
Tanker task force keeps Red Flag flying
For now, even as the White House, Pentagon, and Congress fight over the future of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Warthogs deployed to fight ISIS as part of the 163rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron will keep flying.

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