The US Air Force’s close air support aircraft, the A-10 Warthog aircraft, has been spotted equipped with APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) rockets while flying sorties in support of “Operation Epic Fury.”
This was revealed in the photos released by the US CENTCOM (Central Command) on March 15, 2026, nearly two weeks after the operation was launched on February 28.
Notably, CENTCOM had earlier confirmed the participation of Warthogs in the conflict, but the latest photos are the first visual confirmation from the command. As per reports, the A-10s have been deployed to fly missions against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Jordan.
The photographs published by CENTCOM show the A-10s mid-flight, including during aerial refuelling from a KC-135 Stratotanker. A conventional 600-gallon drop tank could be seen slung from the centreline hard point to increase the aircraft’s range and loiter time, as was also observed earlier during “Operation Inherent Resolve” in Iraq and Syria.
The A-10 is seen carrying a mixed loadout, including AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for air-to-air missions and AGM-65 Maverick missiles for precision ground strikes, reinforcing the Warthog’s close air support role.
However, the most intriguing observation is the sighting of a single LAU-131 seven-round rocket pod loaded with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II)- guided Hydra 70 rockets.
The development comes months after the aircraft returned from the Middle East in the fall of last year with two Shahed-type drone kill markings on its nose that were, at the time, widely attributed to APKWS II engagements in the Red Sea. However, the USAF did not officially confirm the specifics of the weapons for operational security reasons.
Notably, the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft is known for its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm rotary cannon, heavy armour, and ability to engage ground targets such as armoured vehicles, militias, small boats, and low-level threats.
The aircraft has taken part in almost every major US conflict since the 1980s, including the Gulf War, the Balkan Wars, the Afghanistan War, and in Iraq and Syria as well.
Following its success in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, the aircraft was given several nicknames, including “Warthog,” “Flying Gun,” and “Tankbuster. ”
Last year, the aircraft was conducting strikes on pro-Bashar al-Assad forces in Syria, as well as Iran-backed forces in the country. More recently, videos of a Warthog firing on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq using its GAU-8 Avenger were posted to social media.
Earlier, the Fixed-Wing Air-Launched Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Ordnance (FALCO) software-installed APKWS II missiles were approved for use on the A-10, F-16, and F-15E, according to the Pentagon’s 2026 budget request. In fact, the F-16s were believed to be using the APKWS to down drones launched by Houthis in March 2025.
Despite that, the integration of the APKWS II on the A-10 Warthog for anti-drone missions is particularly significant, given that the USAF was previously reported to be planning to retire its entire A-10 Warthog fleet by the end of Fiscal Year 2026.
The 2026 spending package included a request for US$57 million to retire all 162 remaining A-10 Warthog fighter jets then in service, as reported by EurAsian Times last year.
A-10 Swatting Iranian Drones
Inducted into the USAF in 1976, the A-10 was built for close air support (CAS), targeting tanks, armoured vehicles, and ground forces with unmatched precision and durability, during the tense Cold War era. And, one of the most striking features of this aircraft was its GAU-8 Avenger, a 30mm seven-barrel Gatling cannon.
The A-10 can withstand severe combat damage thanks to its robust construction, including a titanium-armoured cockpit. The Warthog can withstand direct strikes from high-explosive and armour-piercing rounds, loiter in the air for long periods at a time, and operate at low altitudes.
Notably, its low-flying, slow-speed characteristics, remarkable air-to-ground precision, and loitering capability make it a highly effective force-protection platform.
The addition of APKWS II transforms this legacy close air support platform into a formidable counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) asset.
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II is a mid-body laser-guidance kit with an optional infrared (IR) seeker in FALCO configuration that turns inexpensive unguided Hydra 70 rockets into precision munitions. These rockets are compact, measuring nearly 19 inches in length and just under 3 inches in diameter, giving them a slim profile.
In the Ukraine war, where they were used as an anti-air weapon, the APKWS II emerged as a cheaper option to counter Iranian one-way attack drones compared to air-to-air missiles.
The APKWS II can shoot down one-way attack drones like the Shahed-136 (priced at $20,000 to 30,000) for a fraction of the cost of an air-to-air missile, which costs over half a million dollars even in its most basic iteration. In fact, the price of APKWS rockets matches that of the cheap, expendable drones that it is meant to neutralise.
For this reason, the USAF has prioritised integrating APKWS onto its fighter jets as a counter-drone measure.
Notably, the Shaheds and other Iranian drones are often too slow and too many as they come in swarms, which is why fighter jets typically have trouble detecting them or matching their speed.
This is where the A-10 comes into the picture. It can loiter, visually acquire targets using cues or a pod, and then discharge low-cost rockets without exhausting high-end missile stores. It provides continuous overwatch in permissive airspace by combining drone hunting with conventional ground strikes on the same sortie. Thus, filling the vacuum left by the dearth of counter-UAS assets in the US inventory.
The A-10’s new drone-killer role demonstrates how older, rugged platforms adapt faster than all-new designs in drone-proliferated environments. Moreover, it buys time for the legacy platform and proves value in hybrid threats where airspaces are largely saturated.
It must be noted that there is currently no evidence of A-10s’ deployment in Iran, largely because the aircraft are considered unsuitable for modern battlefield environments replete with potent air defences.
On the contrary, CENTCOM is degrading Tehran’s asymmetric toolkit without risking A-10s over heavily defended Iranian territory by deploying them to neutralise cheap Iranian proxies’ air threats over Iraq.
Simply put, the deployment of these aircraft provides continuous overwatch in permissive airspace by combining drone hunting with conventional ground strikes on the same sortie. Furthermore, it emphasises a sustained US presence across the wider West Asian region and reinforces the view that Washington has activated layered air power.
This, however, does not mean that the A-10s face no troubles in combat. The aircraft lacks its own radar, so the pilots would likely need to use other tools to guide the drones toward such targets unless they can be visually seen or detected with infrared optics.
Additionally, they may be less effective against high-speed or high-altitude threats and remain vulnerable to MANPADS and ground-based weapons.
Nonetheless, the integration of APKWS onto the A-10 demonstrates that, by repurposing older racks and reusing legacy launchers, the service has delivered an affordable, precision counter-UAS option from an aircraft that is likely on the last leg of its service life.
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