Great shot of an A-10 over Afghanistan. In this picture, Capt. Andrew Quinn flies his OA/A-10 Thunderbolt II observation/attack aircraft to a refueling position behind a KC-135 Stratotanker. This picture was taken on Sunday, March 26, 2006 by U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Lance Cheung. Captain Quinn is currently deployed to the 355th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft designed to provide close air support (CAS) of ground forces.
It was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft, designed in the 1970′s, exclusively for close air support . The A-10′s official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is more commonly known by its nickname “Warthog” or simply “Hog”.
Filed in A-10 Thunderbolt II, Fairchild Republic
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Also tagged Andrew Quinn, Fairchild, fighter, fighter squadron, jet aircraft, Master Sgt. Lance Cheung, picture, Stratotanker, support, Thunderbolt, thunderbolt ii, U.S., U.S. Air, War, Warthog, World
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The US Air Force today confirmed that it is using a drone named the RQ-170 Sentinel, in Afghanistan. The stealthy unmanned aircraft system is developed by the Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division, the same company that developed the F-117 Stealth Fighter. However, the RQ-170 looks like a scaled down version of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. The USAF confirms that the RQ-170 Sentinel is in development, and is expected “to provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to forward-deployed combat forces”, according to a statement released on 4 December.
This announcement comes after a series of images of a jet-powered, stealthy aircraft have appeared on the internet last April, including a clear shot of the aircraft that circulated widely in early December. Besides describing the RQ-170 as stealthy, the USAF released no further technical information about its new UAV, or any photos. This plane has also been rumored to be called the “Beast of Kandahar”. The main purpose of the drone has been reported to be providing aerial and strategic information to the ground forces battling in Afghanistan. “RQ” represents that the aircraft is unmanned and unarmed, which is different from other drones named with “MQ” which are loaded with laser guided weapons.
The aviation authorities coined the name of the aircraft as “Beast of Kandahar” after its 2007 pictures were released which showed the aircraft in action in Afghanistan. The pictures gave the description of an aircraft that resembles a drone that has the ability to cheat radar and has the shape which resembles that of a stealth aircraft. Several aviation journals have made speculations about this mysterious aircraft and have published its pictures. The presence of “Beast of Kandahar” in the region has questioned why the U.S. is using such technology in a warzone where there are no radar systems available to militants. This has pointed towards the possible us of the drone over Iran and Pakistan. According to reports, the U.S. air force has targeted many terrorists in Pakistan with the help of Predators and Reaper drones.
Filed in Lockheed Martin, Planes, RQ-170 Sentinel
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Also tagged Beast, Beast of Kandahar, Bomber, combat, drone, Kandahar, Lockheed, plane, Predators, reconnaissance, RQ-170, Sentinel, Skunk Works, stealth, support, U.S., U.S. Air, UAV, USAF
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Defense Secretary Gates today announced that the F-22 Raptor program is scheduled to be cancelled.
The new budget halts new orders of F-22 fighter jets and allocates billions of dollars in new funding for such low-tech weapons as the unmanned drones being used to hunt insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.