An A-10C was noticed with two Shahed-type UAS shapes painted on the nostril whereas returning to its residence base.
An A-10C Thunderbolt II of the U.S. Air Pressure was noticed with two fascinating kill markings whereas returning residence from its newest deployment within the U.S. CENTCOM (Central Command) AOR (Space of Accountability). The truth is, the plane was painted with two Shahed-type UAS shapes on its nostril, along with different kill markings and an Ares (the Greek God of Battle) determine.
These markings seem like the primary affirmation that the Warthog (because the plane is nicknamed inside the fighter pilot neighborhood) has been utilized in a Counter UAS position and has shot down hostile One Approach Assault (OWA) drones. No official assertion has been launched by the U.S. Air Pressure.
TABOR61 (blended the callsigns on the primary flight 😅) arriving at PSM after a visit from Lajes! pic.twitter.com/pJwwJAgtJL
— Alex (@mhtplanes) October 10, 2025
The photographs
The 12 Warthogs have been noticed arriving at Portsmouth Worldwide at Pease, New Hampshire, in two cells of six plane every on Oct. 7 and 10. The A-10 “Ares” was a part of the second cell, and was captured whereas taxiing after touchdown by aviation photographer Alex H, who kindly shared the photographs with us.
Alex instructed us in an e-mail that every A-10 was painted with a determine representing a Greek god. All through the years, it grew to become custom that U.S. plane getting back from deployment with ornamental nostril arts and markings representing the weapons employed and/or the targets.
On Oct. 7, the plane noticed have been:
TABOR71 A-10 79-0121 “Herme”
TABOR72 A-10 79-0091 “NYX”
TABOR73 A-10 79-0109 “Cronus”
TABOR74 A-10 78-0707 “Artemis”
TABOR75 A-10 79-0136 “Athena”
TABOR76 A-10 80-0218 “Poseidon”
On Oct. 10, the plane noticed have been:
TABOR61 A-10 79-0122 “Dionysus”
TABOR62 A-10 78-0643 “Ares”
TABOR63 A-10 79-0152 “Demeter”
TABOR64 A-10 79-0084 “Zeus”
TABOR65 A-10 80-0276 “Hades”
TABOR66 A-10 78-0624 “Aphrodite”
The deployment
The 124th Fighter Wing of the Idaho Air Nationwide Guard, stationed at Gowen Subject Air Nationwide Guard Base, Idaho, deployed its A-10s to the CENTCOM AOR on Mar. 29, 2025, flown by the a hundred and ninetieth Fighter Squadron. The six-month deployment was deliberate to final till the tip of September, in keeping with Idaho’s media.
Up to now, the Warthog performed an vital position in fight operations in opposition to militants in Iraq and Syria. This time, the presence of the A-10 was silent, with few photographs and statements documenting their presence within the space.
The photographs confirmed the A-10s flying with a comparatively gentle load, which included two GBU-54 Laser JDAM guided bombs and a LAU-131 A/A pod with seven AGR-20 rockets, also referred to as APKWS II (Superior Precision Kill Weapon System). The latter, within the upgraded AGR-20F FALCO (Mounted-Wing Air-Launched Counter Unmanned Aerial Programs Ordnance) variant, is the weapon of selection for U.S. F-15Es and F-16Cs employed in a Counter-UAS position within the CENTCOM AOR.
As reported in July 2025 by The Battle Zone, Pentagon documentation for the 2026 finances explicitly talked about the AGR-20F is cleared to be used on the F-16, F-15E, and the A-10. As FALCO is a software program modifications, the photographs can’t be used to discern which variant was employed by the A-10 in the course of the deployment, however it’s cheap to say it was the AGR-20F.
Many would ask why use the A-10, a sluggish plane constructed for Shut Air Help, to intercept drones. The reply might be discovered within the captions of the U.S. Air Pressure used to explain the jet: “The A-10 can loiter close to battle areas for prolonged intervals of time and function in low ceiling and visibility circumstances.”
These capabilities make the Warthog perfect to effectively deal with slow-moving drone threats, as it might keep airborne for hours, cheaply, and with the flexibility to hold a lot of rockets, if wanted, to cease massive swarming assaults. This may deliver down much more the worth of taking pictures down a budget Shahed drones and related, as an alternative of utilizing costlier fighters, just like the F-15, F-16 and F-35, with costlier weapons, just like the AIM-9X and AIM-120C/D.
The A-10 might additionally use its highly effective GAU-8 30mm cannon, nevertheless it could have to get nearer to the targets, growing the chance of ingesting particles.
The APKWS II
The rockets loaded on the launchers have been recognized as APKWS II, a kind that has not too long ago been launched into the air-to-air area being utilized by USAF F-16s to shoot down Houthi drones across the Crimson Sea. The APKWS II, which was first examined as an air-to-air weapon again in 2019, supplies an affordable resolution to have interaction each air and floor targets. Within the counter drone position, the F-16s typically operated in pairs with one jet ‘portray’ the goal with a laser from the Sniper ATP whereas the opposite made an assault run with the rockets.
The latest introduction of the APKWS II as a counter-drone weapon for the F-16, which carried only one or two rocket launchers, successfully tripled its engagement alternative when in comparison with earlier loadouts that includes simply six air-to-air missiles. The identical occurred with the F-15E, with each fighters in a position to carry as much as 42 rockets.
This additionally drastically decreased the associated fee per kill: an AIM-9X prices about $450,000 and an AIM-120 greater than $1 million, whereas a single APKWS II rocket is estimated to have a value level of round $30,000. Nonetheless, its air-to-air goal portfolio is proscribed to regular targets corresponding to drones or cruise missiles; it’s not in a position to maneuver as a lot as different specialised air-to-air weapons just like the AIM-9 or AIM-120.
