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The A-10 'Warthog' Just Got A Little More Badass
 The A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the "Warthog," recently seemingly destined for the scrapyard, is engaging Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Taliban forces in Afghanistan using a new weapon with a badass name: the Advanced Precision Manufactured by BAE Systems, the APKWS is equipped with laser-guided rockets, giving A-10 aircraft in Afghanistan a "deep magazine of high-precision weapons," according to Popular Mechanics. One of the biggest advantages to using this system is the minimal collateral damage left when fired, which is a result of its tiny warhead. It is also lighter, which allows the A-10 to carry 38 of these instead of the two 500-pound bombs it carried before. According to a statement from BAE, the new kit transforms a standard unguided munition into a precision laser-guided rocket. Though this is the first time the system has been employed on one of the Air Force's fixed-wing craft, BAE said it had proved "highly successful for the Navy and Marine Corps since 2012 and has also been used by US Army Apache helicopters in combat." The Marine Corps started fielding the APKWS on AV-8B Harriers, while the Army outfitted AH-64 Apaches with it. The upgrade also fits the Pentagon's desire for more plug-and-play systems, which can be retrofitted to existing craft and technology. To install the APKWS on a Warthog, all you have to do is remove the rocket's nose cone, attach the new guidance section, and screw the nose cone back on. Posted by: gorb 2016-06-17 |
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