The A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the “Warthog,” has been a major part of U.S. combat operations in the Middle East in recent years, even as the Air Force works to wind down its service. And recently A-10s have been spotted in the region sporting some video game-related nose art.
The latest is “Diddy Kong.” Not the titular Donkey Kong from the long-running franchise, but his smaller nephew, who wears a baseball cap rather than Donkey Kong’s tie.
Photos of the Nintendo-themed close-attack fighter emerged earlier this month on the military’s media hub, the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. They show “Diddy Kong” being prepped for combat operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in December. Those operations include an apparently ongoing mission, Operation Hawkeye Strike, which has seen at least two major air campaigns against Islamic State fighters in Syria.
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The close-attack aircraft is assigned to the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, according to the Air Force. The 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, based out of Moody Air Force Base, has been taking part in CENTCOM operations in recent months.
This is not the first time in the past month that a video game character has been spotted on the side of an A-10. The military also posted photos of another A-10, with Samus from the “Metroid” video game series, taking part in operations in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. That means there are at least two Warthogs currently deployed to the Middle East named for not just a Nintendo character but also a playable character in “Super Smash Bros.” This Diddy Kong is not throwing banana peels or spinning around to fight, but rather armed with the A-10 Thunderbolt II’s classic. Like the others, it sports a shark’s face nose art and GAU-8 Avenger 30 mm gun that goes BRRRRT.
The A-10 has been a mainstay in the Middle East over the past three years, but has seen notable use in recent months as American attacks on ISIS have moved across Syria. The photos on DVIDS show Air Force Capt. Josiah Bierle prepping his A-10 ahead of a flight. A-10s took part in the second major Operation Hawkeye Strike campaign a few days later on Jan. 10. CENTCOM has only released images of participating aircraft preparing for the combat missions and details on the actual airstrikes have been limited so the full extent of what Warthogs have been doing is unclear. However, their weapons loadouts have been effective both in fighting enemy drones and for providing close air support to ground forces in Iraq and Syria.
