04/13/2026
An A-10 Thunderbolt II successfully returned to base despite sustaining more than 150 holes from enemy ground fire during a combat mission.✈🇺🇸
This A-10 Thunderbolt II made it back to base despite taking heavy damage in combat—an impressive reminder of both rugged design and pilot expertise.
Nicknamed the “flying tank,” the A-10 is specifically engineered for survivability. Its standout feature, the “Titanium Bathtub,” is a heavily armored enclosure that shields the pilot, allowing the aircraft to endure intense impacts and still complete its mission.
When Kim Campbell’s aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile over Iraq In 2003, she instantly knew that ejecting was not the safest option.
“At first, it completely surprised me—but I immediately realized the aircraft had been hit,” Campbell recalled. “There wasn’t a moment to second-guess it. Ejecting would’ve dropped me straight into central Baghdad, and that just wasn’t an option.”
The impact disabled two of the A-10’s hydraulic systems—damage that would normally leave most aircraft impossible to control. However, the Warthog is designed for extreme situations like this. By switching to its manual reversion control system, Campbell was able to maintain control and successfully guide the aircraft back to base.
Against the odds, she flew the heavily damaged A-10 back to base and landed safely.
“It was the best landing I’ve ever made,” Campbell later said.
Her calm decision-making and exceptional airmanship earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism, one of the U.S. Air Force’s highest honors.✈️🇺🇸