(FOX NEWS) — The U.S. Air Force has deployed A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to the Middle East equipped with a newly tested aerial refueling system that allows the jets to refuel from HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, according to newly released photos.

The images, released Wednesday, show A-10Cs assigned to the Michigan Air National Guard’s 107th Fighter Squadron refueling from an HC-130J in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 9.

The capability was first publicly tested earlier this spring and allows the A-10 to switch from its traditional boom refueling setup to a probe-and-drogue system.

The A-10 has historically relied on KC-135 Stratotankers for aerial refueling and has not yet been certified to refuel from the newer KC-46 Pegasus, creating operational limitations in some theaters.

The adapter fits into the aircraft’s nose-mounted refueling receptacle and can reportedly be installed by flight line crews within hours, allowing aircraft to switch between refueling configurations depending on mission needs.

The newly released photos also appear to show the A-10s carrying the “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod, a modular jamming system previously tested on multiple aircraft platforms but not previously seen publicly in an overseas operational deployment aboard the A-10.

The pod was initially developed as a training system before evolving into a combat-capable electronic warfare platform designed to rapidly adapt to enemy air defense systems.

The Air Force has not publicly detailed what missions the A-10s are supporting in the region.