The iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft took part in an exercise in the Gulf of Oman alongside the destroyer USS Stethem, which can carry Tomahawk missiles

The US Air Force has decided to bring a pair of iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to an exercise in the Gulf of Oman. The aircraft have hardly ever been used in naval combat.

Here's What We Know

Two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft assigned to the US Air Force's 75th Fighter Squadron joined the USS Stethem (DDG 63). The US Navy has not disclosed details of the use of the ship, which can carry Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II has hardly participated in combat at sea. However, there is a famous case in the biography of the legendary aircraft. It is about the Odyssey Dawn operation in 2011. Then the A-10 Thunderbolt II attacked a patrol boat and several small boats in the port of Misrata.

Earlier this year, the US Air Force decided to use A-10s in the Middle East due to Iran's aggressive actions in the Persian Gulf. The attack aircraft arrived in the region with the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), which is attached to the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group. They were followed by fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and several other warships.

Source: DVIDS