Warthog Makeover

The official name for the Fairchild Republic A-10 aircraft may be the Thunderbolt II, but it is universally known as the Warthog. Now the Air Force's ground-attack workhorse is getting upgraded into the 21st century, with multifunction color displays, digital stores management, and new computerized controls. Before the first Gulf War there were many reports that the USAF wanted to scrap the sub-sonic fighter in favor of sexier, faster planes. In the last Gulf war, the A-10 accounted for more than half the tanks destroyed, and a range of other material.