Just over a month after its first test, the A-10C is now flying in the Middle East using a new probe refueling adapter that allows it to refuel from the HC-130J using a probe and drogue system.
The U.S. Air Force has released the first photos showing an A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft using a probe refueling adapter to refuel an HC-130J Combat King II over the Middle East. The system was first tested in early April to provide the A-10 with new probe and drogue aerial refueling capabilities and significantly expand refueling options.
The close air support aircraft has been relying on the KC-135 Stratotanker as it is not yet approved for refueling from the newer KC-46 Pegasus. Therefore, an urgent combat command requirement emerged to address the operational availability of aerial refueling in theater, with the goal of refueling A-10s from C-130-based tankers.
A new photo released May 21, 2026 shows an A-10 refueling from an HC-130J in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 9, 2026. The Warthog was assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron from Selfridge AGB, Michigan, arriving in the Middle East in early April.
The photos were released a day after video showed the new rover being used for the first time by an A-10 at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. For the refueling on May 19, an HC-130J was also used as a tanker.
In particular, the A-10 filmed in the Middle East was also equipped with the Angry Kitten electronic warfare pod. First used in combat during Operation Epic Fury aboard the F-16’s Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission, the pod was previously tested on the A-10 but has never been released in an overseas operational environment.
Probe relubrication adapter
One of the unique features of the A-10C is that it has an aerial refueling device located in the nose, directly in front of the cockpit. This is where the tanker’s operator can plug in the flying boom. However, with the KC-10 tankers retired and KC-46 certification pending, the A-10 continued to rely on the KC-135 for aerial refueling, severely limiting mission planning.
Therefore, an urgent combat order requirement was put in place aimed at addressing the operational availability of aerial refueling in theater using C-130-based tankers. Within a short period of time, the probe refueling adapter was designed and tested for the first time on April 2, 2026.
As you can see in the photo, the adapter fits into the aerial refueling socket in the nose of the A-10. Once installed, it converts the aircraft from a standard boom refueling configuration to a probe and drogue system.
The Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) said the probe adapter is a field-configurable solution that can be installed by operational flight line personnel “in a matter of hours” without relying on warehouse facilities. This “allows the aircraft to be reconfigured between boom and probe refueling capabilities depending on mission requirements,” the statement explains.
Difficulties in testing the KC-46 were reportedly related to the boom, particularly the actuation mechanism inside the boom that impeded refueling due to the A-10C’s low speed. The A-10 is notoriously slower than other fighter jets currently in service with the U.S. Air Force. Maximum speed is 420 miles per hour (Mach 0.56), or 365 knots at sea level.
In general, the refueling speed of fighter jets operated by the United States is about 300 knots, while the refueling speed of the A-10C is known to be about 200 knots. This allows the KC-46 to fly at very low speeds and still maintain full weight at the start of a refueling mission, while the C-130-based tanker can fly at lower speeds and altitudes much more easily.
Obviously, no C-130 tanker with a flying boom refueling system exists, while several C-130 variants are capable of aerial refueling using probe and drogue systems and are already in service. Considering that the new probe will be installed over an existing aerial refueling port, it is likely that the training required for pilots before being cleared to use the new refueling system will be short.
angry kitten pod
Initially born as a training pod derived from the AN/ALQ-167, the Angry Kitten electronic warfare pod has evolved into a modular DFRM-based electronic warfare pod that is now in its first combat deployment. The system was first spotted on a South Carolina Air National Guard F-16 flying toward the Middle East shortly before the start of Operation Epic Fury.
The pod was initially designed for use on the F-16, based on a 2013 Georgia Institute of Technology research effort to produce a threat simulation pod for training. The goal was to provide a ‘cognitive EW’ capability that could independently assess opposing technology and select a specific response to that threat, as well as adapt quickly when encountering unfamiliar adversaries.
It has since been tested on the A-10 Thunderbolt II, MQ-9 Reaper, F/A-18 Hornet, and C-130 Hercules, making it a potential front-line asset. Now it appears that Ford has really entered the forefront.
“At the core of the technology is Angry Kitten’s Technique Description Language architecture,” the U.S. Navy said in a recent feature article. “Georgia Tech designed TDL as a hybrid, combining dedicated hardware modules for speed and bandwidth with software for complex decision-making.”
Ford also says it can be quickly reprogrammed with real-time updates without having to send it back to the contractor. This approach allows you to quickly optimize jamming against threat systems while reducing cost and development time.
