An Idaho Air National Guard A10 C Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft and M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks conducted a joint combat exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California.

According to a statement released by the Idaho Army National Guard,  A-10 C Thunderbolt II from the 124th Fighter Wing, that specially designed for close air support of ground forces, take part in joint combat exercise at the National Training Center with M1A2 Abrams tanks of Idaho Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment.

“Throughout NTC the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team and the 124th Fighter Wing, both headquartered in Boise, have trained along side each other to build unit readiness and increase proficiency in each unit’s wartime missions,” said in a statement.

The Federation Of American Scientists’ website said the primary mission of the A-10, affectionately nicknamed “The Warthog,” is to provide day and night close air combat support for friendly land forces and to act as forward air controller (FAC) to coordinate and direct friendly air forces in support of land forces. The A-10 has a secondary mission of supporting search and rescue and Special Forces operations. It also possesses a limited capability to perform certain types of interdiction. All of these missions may take place in a high or low threat environment.

The A-10 was designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon. Its airframe was designed also for carriers 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations, including 500 pound Mk-82 and 2,000 pounds Mk-84 series low/high drag bombs, incendiary cluster bombs, combined effects munitions, mine dispensing munitions, AGM-65 Maverick; AIM-9 Sidewinder.