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A right side view of aircraft in flight over the pyramids during exercise Bright Star '82. The aircraft are, from front to back: a MiG-21, F-16 Fighting Falcon, MiG-177 and an A-10 Thunderbolt II

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A right side view of aircraft in flight over the pyramids during exercise Bright Star '82. The aircraft are, from front to back: a MiG-21, F-16 Fighting Falcon, MiG-177 and an A-10 Thunderbolt II

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The original finding aid described this photograph as:

Subject Operation/Series: BRIGHT STAR '82

Country: Egypt (EGY)

Scene Camera Operator: STAFF SGT. Bill Thompson

Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files

Fighter planes and military aircrafts.

The A-10 Thunderbolt has excellent maneuverability at low airspeeds and altitude and is a highly accurate and survivable weapons-delivery platform. Called the “Warthog” for its aggressive look and often painted with teeth on the nose cone, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is the U.S. Air Force’s primary low-altitude close air support aircraft best known for its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm Gatling gun designed to fire armor-piercing depleted uranium and high explosive incendiary rounds. In the 1970s the threat of Soviet armored forces and all-weather attack operations had become more serious. Six companies submitted aircraft proposals, with Northrop and Fairchild-Republic selected to build prototypes: the YA-9A and YA-10A, respectively. General Electric and Philco-Ford were selected to build and test GAU-8 cannon prototypes. First A-10 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force on 30 March 1976. By 1984, 715 airplanes had been built.

Sources cite at least 118 identified "Egyptian" pyramids. Approximately 80 pyramids were built within the Kingdom of Kush, now located in the modern country of Sudan. Of those located in modern Egypt, most were built as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. Here are some interesting facts about Egyptian pyramids: The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the Pharaohs and their queens. The Pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom. The most famous Egyptian pyramids are the pyramids of Giza, located on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The oldest and largest of these pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest pyramid in the world, and it is made up of over 2.3 million blocks of limestone and granite. It stands 147 meters (481 feet) tall, and its base covers an area of 13.1 acres (53,000 square meters). The pyramids at Giza were built during the 26th century BCE as burial tombs for the Pharaohs and their queens. The Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza, and it is estimated to have been built around 2560 BCE. The other two pyramids at Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, are also quite ancient, having been built around 2520 BCE and 2490 BCE, respectively. All three pyramids at Giza are considered to be among the oldest and most impressive structures of their kind in the world, and they are a testament to the ingenuity and engineering skills of the ancient Egyptians. The Great Pyramid of Giza is located at the exact center of the Earth's land mass and is aligned almost perfectly with the four cardinal points of the compass. The ancient Egyptians used a variety of methods to construct the pyramids, including ramps and levers. It is believed that the pyramids were built by skilled workers who used simple tools and machines, such as levers and pulleys, to lift the heavy blocks of stone into place. The ancient Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh's body was the home of his ka (soul) after death and that the pyramid would protect the Pharaoh's body and provide a place for his ka to live. The ancient Egyptians also believed that the Pharaoh's tomb was protected by magical spells and curses and that anyone who disturbed the Pharaoh's tomb would be punished. Many pyramids in Egypt have been vandalized and looted over the centuries, and some have even been destroyed. However, the pyramids at Giza have managed to survive relatively intact, and they continue to be a popular tourist attraction and a source of fascination for people all over the world. There is a legend that has circulated for many years that several researchers who studied the pyramids at Giza met mysterious deaths. However, there is no evidence to support this claim. There have been a number of researchers who have studied the pyramids at Giza over the years, and while some of them may have died in the course of their work, there is no evidence to suggest that their deaths were in any way related to the pyramids or that they were the result of any kind of mysterious or supernatural causes.

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Date

01/11/1981
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Source

The U.S. National Archives
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