US Air Force: F-35 Lightning II made its first transatlantic flight

US Air Force : Designed in the 70s, during the Cold War to counter a possible invasion of troops from the former Soviet Union in Western Europe, the A-10 Thunderbolt II dramatically changed his target to past years since this aircraft excels in Close Air Support and ground attack against the Taliban and jihadist groups.

For some years now, and with the development of new next-generation aircraft, like the F-35 Lightning II Lockheed Martin or the KC-46A Boeing, general head of the Air Force want to end the career of “Warthog” in order to save money and be able to finance these (very) expensive programs.

However, given the general, members of Congress, including voting the budget for the Pentagon, have always managed to keep flying this machine, including touting his qualities and efficiency in operations where it is committed, especially in Afghanistan and the Middle East (Syria / Iraq), where he carries out missions against the jihadists of the Islamic State Organization.

And defendants and supporters of the A-10 Thunderbolt II won a new victory since the budget requested by the US Department of Defense for 2017 plans to keep flying the “Warthog” still in service in the US Air Force, and that, until 2022.

Martha McSally, US policy, said in response to this request from the Pentagon that “A-10 is essential to our national security. He continues to demonstrate its value on the battlefield against ISIS in Europe to deter Russian aggression, and on the border with North Korea. ”

An American politician who knows the benefits of this device as it is the first woman fighter pilot to have participated in an outdoor operation in the US Air Force, participating in Operation Southern Watch in its edge. .. A-10 Thunderbolt II. She later became the first woman to command a fighter squadron, the 354th Fighter Squadron, equipped with A-10 Air Base Davis-Monthan (Arizona).

For his part, John McCain, another strong supporter of the “Warthog”, said that “today’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Defense Ash Carter is an honor to all the brave airmen Davis-Monthan and military installations across the country that provide unparalleled close air support during dangerous missions around the world. “

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