Top 5 Most Popular American Fighter Jets: Facts About the Nicknames
When the US Department of Defense buys fighter aircraft from military corporations, the manufacturer’s “birth” name is the name that appears in the paperwork. The American military feels that these names are too long and occasionally confusing, despite the fact that they are all very strong and distinctive.
Thus, unofficial nicknames for American fighter Jets were born, even more popular than the original name.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known by the monikers Warthog or Hog, is a fighter already well-known for its capacity to support infantry.
The sound of the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm automatic cannon is the source of this nickname. Each time it fires, it makes a noise akin to a boar snarling as it charges the enemy.
In addition, the appearance is a little vicious, and the fighting habit of flying near the ground is akin to the boar’s tendency to dig the ground with its nose.
This name has been around since the A-10 was introduced, and it served as the model for the popular canine paint models that are available today.
The F-16 multirole fighter jet became popular with popular culture after the success of the classic Iron Eagle movie.
Although it cannot be compared with the popularity of the F-14 in the blockbuster Top Gun, the name Fighting Falcon has proven its ability as one of the best fighters in the world ever. is produced.
However, for American pilots, the F-16 is often referred to as the Viper.
The name comes from the slim and sharp design of the F-16, along with its resemblance to the Colonial Viper Mk 2 spaceship in the Battlestar Galactica game.
In particular, the Japanese-made version of the F-16, the Mitsubishi F-2, is nicknamed Viper Zero.
Lockheed Martin’s stealth fighters have a very “cool” birth name, but it appears almost exclusively in US military documentation.
At the time of its launch, the United States armed forces referred to the F-35 as the JSF, referring to the fighter’s production program.
The US Air Force, on the other hand, has dubbed the F-35 the Panther, after a World War II fighter plane. The name was then adopted by the navy and marines. This nickname is especially popular among US Navy pilots because it recalls the F9F Panther fighter used by the force during the Korean War.
Panther is now so well-known that F-35 pilots are referred to as “Panther Tamers” by cadets at military schools.
The C-17 is the most famous transport aircraft in the United States Air Force, transporting everything from soldiers and ammunition to M1 Abrams tanks around the world. The C-17, with a maximum payload of up to 77 tons, is also used in humanitarian operations.
The C-17 was used as a “pack horse,” but its nickname is Moose, for an odd reason. When the C-17 was refueled, it pushed excess pressure through the air vents, producing a sound similar to a moose calling for a mate.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet is an improved version of the F-18 Hornet. The F/A-18 Super Horne is a cost-effective multirole fighter.
The Super Hornet has a much larger nose than the original F-18, hence the name Rhino.
It was also an easy way to tell it apart from the original F-18.
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