The only difference between the two ‘hogs’ depicted in the photos of this post is color. A snowhog is covered in arctic camouflage and a warthog is all gray or green.

An important piece of early A-10 history.

Ground crewmen perform maintenance on the two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft being used during exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

On Dec. 18, 1981, two A-10 aircraft arrived at Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) from the Fairchild-Republic factory in Hagerstown, Md. As explained By Don Fenton, 354th Fighter Wing Historian in the article Arctic camouflage makes Eielson’s hogs unique, the aircraft tail numbers were 80-221 and 80-222 … the first two A-10s assigned to Eielson.

Ground crewmen load a Mark 82 bomb aboard the Snowhog aircraft during exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

Any guesses to what the difference is between the two hogs featured in the photos of this post?

Left side view of two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, one with camouflage paint scheme, in flight over frozen terrain during exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

The only difference between the two ‘hogs’ is color. A snowhog is covered in arctic camouflage and a warthog is all gray or green. OK, both Snowhogs and Warthogs are nicknames for the two A-10s.

An air-to-air right side view of two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, one with camouflage paint, participating in exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

However, not long after arriving at Eielson, 80-221 was repainted in an arctic camouflage scheme. This was done as an experiment for an upcoming exercise titled Operation Cool Snow Hog.

An air-to-air view of a camouflaged A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, participating in exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

The exercise was held from Mar. 8 to 16, 1982, at a forward operating location in Kotzebue, Alaska.

Two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the18th Tactical Fighter Squadron arrive at Eielson to participate in exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

Cool Snow Hog represented the Air Force’s first test of forward basing A-10s in Alaska. Overall, the plan called for the Air Force to fly 16 close-air-support sorties in support of the 3rd Scout Battalion of the Alaska Army National Guard.

Overhead view of an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, with camouflage paint scheme, parked on the apron beside a Beech C-12 aircraft. The Snowhog is being used during exercise Cool Snow Hog ’82-1.

Over the following years, the forward operating location concept was tested through various operational readiness exercises and major joint forces exercises such as BRIM FROST, but they were never again referred to as Cool Snow Hog exercises.

It must be noted that this paint scheme was only an experiment. The Air Force never fully adopted the scheme, thus A-10s never flew operationally long-term in the arctic scheme.

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There are a few sources that mention an upwards of three additional A-10s were painted this way however, official documentation has yet to be discovered to verify this information. Nevertheless, the Hogs sure looked good.

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Photo credit: SSGT Bill Thompson / U.S. Air Force