A-10 Warthogs Head to Middle East with 2 Curious New Upgrades

You don’t have to watch too many war videos on YouTube before the A-10 Thunderbolt will cross in front of your eyes.

“Brrrrrrrrtttttt!!!!!”

I didn’t have the honor to serve, but I have heard enough stories from the guys who did to know that sound spells DISASTER for the enemy.

And it simultaneously spells RELIEF for our guys on the ground!

The Warthog, as it is affectionately nicknamed, has now been outfitted with two odd upgrades.

The sort of things that aren’t exactly what you might expect to see on an A-10.

The A-10 is a close air support attack craft — think low and slow, but massive firepower to protect US ground forces.

It’s often called a gun with a plane built around it.

This might be a good point to include a random A-10 gun run video, for critical clarity… of course.

Just in case you don’t know what an A-10 is, I give you… the Warthog in all it’s glory:

BRRRRRT! Wake up! There's still time to do stuff today! pic.twitter.com/ho9Rs3doF7

— A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" (@A10TheHog) May 20, 2026

Here’s a full-screen version of that clip for convenience:

BRRRRRT! Wake up! There’s still time to do stuff today! pic.twitter.com/ho9Rs3doF7

— A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” (@A10TheHog) May 20, 2026

So it turned heads when news broke that a rowdy low and slow attack craft like the A-10 was being outfitted not only with advanced electronic warfare pods…

But also, a completely different long-range refueling setup that will allow it to refuel midair with refueling tankers more closely matching it’s natural mission set — revolving heavily around ground operations.

A-10’s are usually close to the ground, where the action is… not up in the clouds with the Stratotankers flying at much faster speeds with F-35’s and the like.

Until now, that’s where they had to refuel; way higher, and way faster than their normal flight patterns.

But no longer, according to this report from Fox News:

The U.S. Air Force has deployed A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to the Middle East equipped with a newly tested aerial refueling system that allows the jets to refuel from HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, according to newly released photos.

The images, released Wednesday, show A-10Cs assigned to the Michigan Air National Guard’s 107th Fighter Squadron refueling from an HC-130J in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 9.

The capability was first publicly tested earlier this spring and allows the A-10 to switch from its traditional boom refueling setup to a probe-and-drogue system.

The adapter fits into the aircraft’s nose-mounted refueling receptacle and can reportedly be installed by flight line crews within hours, allowing aircraft to switch between refueling configurations depending on mission needs.

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The newly released photos also appear to show the A-10s carrying the “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod, a modular jamming system previously tested on multiple aircraft platforms but not previously seen publicly in an overseas operational deployment aboard the A-10.

Here’s an awesome closeup view of an A-10 actually using the new refueling system:

And that brings us to the “Angry Kitten” upgrade.

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You have no idea how tempting it was to find a literal (cute) ANGRY KITTEN to use as the headline image for this story.

“Angry Kitten”, as the previous Fox News report touched on, is an electronic warfare software pack that comes in the form of a pod.

The pod mounts onto an aircraft, ties into the platform’s systems, and suddenly you have some of the most advanced electronic warfare capabilities available.

The testing of the “Angry Kitten” system was so incredible that the powers-that-be immediately pushed to move them from the training pipeline to the real-world combat stage.

And this isn’t your Grandad’s outdated jamming system, as reported by Defense News:

The United States Air Force has confirmed that A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft operating in the Middle East are now equipped with two major capability upgrades: a newly developed Probe Refueling Adapter and the advanced “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare (EW) pod.

Unlike traditional jamming systems, Angry Kitten can detect, classify, record, manipulate, and retransmit hostile radio frequency signals in order to confuse enemy radar systems and generate false targets. The pod uses a cognitive electronic warfare architecture built around its “Technique Description Language”, combining high-speed processing hardware with adaptive software capable of selecting tailored responses against evolving threats.

A key feature of the system is its rapid reprogrammability. Engineers and government operators can update jamming techniques and threat libraries in near real-time without returning the hardware to a contractor facility, allowing faster adaptation to unfamiliar or changing air defense systems.

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Before its operational deployment on the A-10C, the pod had been tested on multiple platforms, including the MQ-9 Reaper, F/A-18 Hornet, and C-130 Hercules. Its first documented combat employment occurred aboard F-16CJ Block 52 aircraft during Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions conducted as part of Operation Epic Fury.

I’m recalling a few weeks ago when everyone was on the edge of their seats, praying for our downed pilots to be recovered in Iran.

Well… at least anyone with a soul had that mindset and hope.  A few didn’t.

But if you’ll recall, an A-10 Warthog was shot down in the immediate search and rescue efforts trying to recover those fighter pilots.

With the “Angry Kitten” onboard, that is far less of a likely outcome in any future engagement — with Iran, or anyone… for that matter.

Here’s a look at both the new refueling setup, as well as the “Angry Kitten” pods onboard one of the A-10’s currently sporting those upgrades:

A-10C Thunderbolt II Deploys to Middle East with New Refueling Adapter and Advanced ‘Angry Kitten’ EW Podhttps://t.co/EIuzjH4gaf

— The Defense News (@TheDefenseNews) May 22, 2026

If you want to go on a deep dive on exactly what “Angry Kitten” does, and why it’s far more than JUST a jamming system…

Here’s the video for you:

In a nutshell, “Angry Kitten” doesn’t just blind the enemy…

It completely overwhelms enemy sensors.

It doesn’t just help the A-10 avoid a shootdown; it turns the A-10 into a potential close air support attack craft with the ability to DESTROY the enemy’s ability to track and communicate — on the GROUND.

If we ever do get into a situation with US ground forces being targeted by adversaries while operating on foreign soil…

The “Angry Kitten” pod upgrade will make the A-10 one of the most lethal tools to combat that adversary.

And that means this classic meme… will remain relevant for a lot longer than the military planners keep suggesting:

The struggle is real. pic.twitter.com/Qah5OnJXqG

— A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" (@A10TheHog) May 21, 2026

Not only did President Trump just GREATLY increase the number of options he has if we get into a renewed squabble with Iran.

But the A-10 just reasserted itself as one of the most versatile air platforms in the US military arsenal.

And I know a few Marine grunts who won’t be the least bit surprised to hear that news.