Force statistics . The Air Force has more than 400 A-10s in its fleet . The cracks in the older A-10 A-models and A-10 C-models were discovered at Hill Air Force Base in Utah during routine maintenance . No A-10 has had an accident because of the cracks just discovered , according to Air Force officials . The inspection of the 127 planes will give priority to the planes in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of battle , officials said . The plane was designed as a tank killer , with a front-mounted Gatling gun that fires 30-mm armor-piercing ammunition capable of destroying a tank . The planes are now primarily used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations , flying low and slow and with the ability to target individuals hidden on mountainsides or rooftops . Last year , the Air Force grounded hundreds of F-15 fighter jets after one fell apart during a training mission . The culprit was a fatigued longeron , a part that holds the fuselage together . Numerous F-15s flying in Iraq and Afghanistan also were grounded until they were inspected , forcing the service to fly other aircraft
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Air Force is grounding more than 100 planes used to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan because of fatigue cracks in the wings , Air Force officials said Friday . Aircraft like this A-10 Warthog provide close support to ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan . The officials said 127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs , including some used in the United States , will be grounded until they are each inspected for the cracks . `` The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking , specifically with thin-skin wings . This risk is of great concern to the Air Force and is representative of a systemic problem for our aging Air Force fleet , '' the Air Force said . The A-10 Thunderbolt II , nicknamed the `` Warthog '' because of its unique un-aerodynamic look , is one of the Air Force 's older aircraft , having first been delivered to the service in 1975 . The average age of the A-10 fleet is now 28 years , but the entire Air Force fleet has an average age of 25 years , according to Air