The J-variant is lighter and more fuel efficient than previous versions, able to fly at 416 mph (669 km/h) with a range of 3,000 mi (4,800 km) and service ceiling of 28,000 ft (8,500 m). These sensors allow the gunship to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets in most weather conditions. The new AC-130J was based on the MC-130J Commando II special-operations tanker. Vanessa Dobos is a gunner on a USAF AC-130 gunship. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck and barely missed striking two crew members. [20] In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters. [21] Brigadier General Bradley A. Heithold, AFSOC's director of plans, programs, requirements, and assessments, said on 11 August 2008 that the effort was canceled because of problems with the Bushmaster's accuracy in tests "at the altitude we were employing it". You see tracers streaking toward some kind of C-130-model aircraft. The upgraded AC-130U Spooky has a single 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon in place of the Spectre's two 20 mm cannons, an improved fire-control system, and increased ammunition capacity. It was used from mid-February until the aircraft received battle damage to its right flap. Dual Tracer Fire! [38][39][40] However, laser armament may only be installed on a few aircraft rather than the entire AC-130J fleet;[41] the laser will be mounted on the side in place of the 30 mm cannon. 93-S3040, E10630 8/93. The circular orbit or pylon turn keeps the target under fire indefinitely. [54] AC-130s destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and participated in many crucial close-air-support missions in Vietnam. The modifications were done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the Aeronautical Systems Division. A lone Iraqi with a Strela-2 MANPADS shot Spirit 03 down, and all 14 crew members were killed.[65]. At its standard altitude of 12,000 feet, the aircraft had a proven ability to engage moving ground targets. Cabin of the AC-130 is non-pressurized. [10] The squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM). One early option considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran. Seven more warplanes were converted to the "Plain Jane" configuration like the AC-130 prototype in 1968,[15] and one aircraft received the "Surprise Package" refit in 1969. 54–1623, c/n 3010, named "Ghost Rider" served in Southeast Asia and later conflicts until being retired in 1997 to Dobbins AFB, Georgia. [13][95] This aircraft served in Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1972, then served in JC-130A test configuration. The military has used AC-130 gunships during the humanitarian operations in Somalia (Operation Restore Hope and Operation United Shield) in 1992–93 and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. It made its last flight from Duke Field to Hurlburt Field on 20 October 1994. [30], The AC-130J will follow the path of the Dragon Spear program. The preliminary design review (PDR) for the AC-130J programme was concluded in March 2013. 5 Thomas A. Zangla) The Air Force eventually turned to a larger plane and larger guns for aerial gunships, leading to the AC-130 variants still flying today. This round is a combination of the existing PGU-25 HEI and a M758 fuze designated as FMU-151/B to meet the MIL-STD-1316. This deployment with the 1 SOW/CC as task force commander was directed from the office of the CJCS for fear that Iranian militants could begin executing American Embassy personnel who had been taken hostage on 4 November. Battle Damage! With the conclusion of hostilities in Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s, the AC-130H became the sole gunship in the regular Air Force, home based at Hurlburt Field, Florida, while the AC-130A fleet was transferred to the Air Force Reserve's 919th Tactical Airlift Group (919 TAG) at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3/Duke Field, Florida. The AC-130 Spectre Gunship Still Plays a Critical Role in America’s Close Air Support Capability. [13] The AC-130 was later supplemented by the AC-119 Shadow (Project Gunship III), which later proved to be underpowered. The gunships attacked Iraqi positions and columns moving south to reinforce their positions north of the city. The day after arriving in Afghanistan, the AC-130s attacked Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces near the city of Konduz and were directly responsible for the city's surrender the next day. Before the turn of the decade it became clear that the aging AC-130 fleet was in low supply and exceedingly high demand. And the newest versions have a 25mm machine gun that can fire more than 2,000 rounds per minute. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. The crew ran out of ammo. During the intense fighting, the planes fired more than 1,300 40 mm and 1,200 105 mm rounds. On 22 February 1973, American offensive operations in Laos ended and the gunships became totally committed to operations in the Cambodian conflict. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and point air defense. [26] The precision strike packages consist of a 30 mm gun and several precision guided munitions. The PGM-38/U enhanced 25 mm high-explosive incendiary round was created to expand the AC-130U gunships' mission in standoff range and survivability for its 25 mm GAU-12/U gun. [25] The MC-130W Dragon Spear was renamed AC-130W Stinger II in 2011. During the Gulf War of 1990–91 (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), Regular Air Force and Air Force Reserve AC-130s provided close air support and force protection (air base defense) for ground forces, and battlefield interdiction. The AC-130U is equipped with the AN/APQ-180, a synthetic aperture radar, for long-range target detection and identification. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings, and the four-bladed Hamilton Sunstrand 54H60-91 props at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA. The AC-130 aircrew earned the Lieutenant General William H. Tunner Award for the mission. The Mackay Trophy is awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association to honor the most meritorious flight of the prior year conducted by an Air Force person, persons, or organization. AC-130s took part in Operation Assured Response in Liberia in 1996 and in Operation Silver Wake in 1997, the evacuation of American non-combatants from Albania. If you have a couple of minutes, we'd like to collect your feedback on it. [42] Other potential additions include an active denial system to perform airborne crowd control, and small unmanned aerial vehicles from the common launch tubes to provide remote video feed and coordinates to weapons operators through cloud cover. During an attack, the gunship performs a pylon turn, flying in a large circle around the target, therefore being able to fire at it for far longer than in a conventional strafing attack. Designated the GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition, the weapon weighs 27 kg (60 lb) and is armed with a 16 kg (35 lb) blast-fragmentation warhead that can detonate by direct impact or at a selected height; despite being smaller, being unpowered allows for its warhead to be heavier than those on the Hellfire and Griffin A missiles, 9 kg (20 lb) and 5.9 kg (13 lb), respectively. Northrop Grumman Corpor… The AC-130 Gunner is an unnamed crew member of the United States Air Force AC-130 "Warhammer" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.. Modifications began by cutting holes in the plane to make room for weapons and adding kits and bomb bases for laser-guided munitions. 54–1626, the original prototype AC-130 named "Gunship II" is on display at the outdoor Air Park at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. What set the AC-47 apart from its more mundane cousins was the armament it carried. AC-130 strikes were directed by special forces on known Taliban locations during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. The cargo version was unarmed. Force-protection missions include defending air bases and other facilities. But the tracers seem to be arcing behind or in front of the aircraft. During the Vietnam War era, the various AC-130 versions following the Pave Pronto modifications were equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector system called Black Crow (designated AN/ASD-5), a highly sensitive passive device with a phased-array antenna located in the left-front nose radome that could pick up localized deviations in the Earth's magnetic field normally used to detect submerged submarines. The AC-130 is a heavily armed long-endurance aircraft carrying an array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire control systems. She has seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other roles include air interdiction (pre-planned air-to-ground strikes), armed reconnaissance and force protection (flying defensive patrols over friendly forces / bases). AFSOC is actively pursuing a directed-energy weapon onboard the AC-130J in place of the 30mm gun by 2022,[36][37] similar to the previous Advanced Tactical Laser program. Recently, the 14-member crew of Spooky 43, an AC-130U gunship was awarded the Mackay Trophy. Rails are mounted on the outboard pylon of the wing for four Hellfire missiles, SDBs, or SDB IIs under each. It could also detect hand-held transmitter signals of air controllers on the ground to identify and locate targets. Lt Col Michael Byers, then 16 SOS commander, represented the active-duty gunship force and Clyde Gowdy of the Spectre Association represented all Spectre personnel past and present for the unveiling of a monument at the aircraft and the dedication as a whole. Upon return in March 1980, the four planes soon found themselves in Egypt to support the ill-fated hostage rescue attempt. It has since removed the guns and reinstalled the original 40 mm and 25 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty. [40][41] AFSOC will initially use the Raytheon Coyote small UAV for the TOBS mission, as it is an off-the-shelf design with a one-hour endurance, but plans to fulfill the role with a new drone capable of a four-hour endurance by 2019. 56–0509, named the Ultimate End, was originally accepted as a C-130A by the Air Force on 28 February 1957,[citation needed] and modified to the AC-130A configuration on 27 July 1970. Aircrews earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the Tunner Award. The pilot was able to crash land the aircraft safely. The AC-130 is colloquially known as “Hell in the Sky.” This video is about the latest version of those old C-130s or DC3s that were jerry-rigged cargo planes turned into aerial weapons systems of immense power and value to the troops on the ground. When next we looked, enemy tracers were rocket­ing through the airspace where we would have been. Azrael was also assigned to the 919th Special Operations Wing and retired to the museum in October 1995.[93][94]. The use of AC-130s in places like Fallujah, urban settings where insurgents were among crowded populations of non-combatants, was criticized by human rights groups. Learn more about C-130 Sustainment. It was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 1976, and converted back to AC-130A configuration in the late 1990s. When engaging the target this aircraft operates at an altitude of just 1.1 … [16] The Surprise Package upgrade included the latest 20 mm rotary autocannons and 40 mm Bofors cannon, but no 7.62 mm close-support armament. 1C-130(A)A-1 Flight Manual USAF Series AC-130A Airplane (Part 1), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lockheed_AC-130&oldid=1000602309, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles needing more detailed references, Articles with dead external links from July 2016, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2018, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Downed while truck hunting along the Ho Chi Minh Trail by a, Downed while truck hunting by 57 mm AA at 7,500 feet: The "E" model was armed with a 105 mm, Downed while truck hunting along the Ho Chi Minh trail at 7,800 feet by 37 mm AA, 1× 105 mm M102 howitzer (AC-130J Ghostrider only as of 2017), 'Gunslinger' weapons system with launch tube for, AN/APN-59 radar – search and weather radar, This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 20:56. An AC 130 Whiskey Gunship parks on the Base Operations red carpet area at Robins Air Force Base Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. [45][46][47] Approval for fielding occurred in early 2017. It is to produce a beam of up to 120 kW, or potentially even 180–200 kW, weigh about 5,000 lb (2,300 kg), defensively destroy antiaircraft missiles, and offensively engage communications towers, boats, cars, and aircraft. Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the "PAVE Spectre" project followed. AC-130A #6 40MM Firing : Early H-Model: H-Model over Destin Note: Lack of buildings! Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, hostage situation at the US Embassy in Iran, National Museum of the United States Air Force, List of accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, List of active United States military aircraft, Air Commandos retire final AC-130H Spectre gunship, https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104485/ac-130w-stinger-ii/, "AC-130U "Spooky" Gunship Rolls Into Retirement", "Afghan forces requested airstrike on hospital", "Air Force gets first upgraded 'Ghostrider' gunship", "A Spookier Spooky, 30 mm at a Time? 69-6567, call-sign Spirit 03, opted to stay to continue to protect the Marines. [34] The AC-130J has two planned increments: the Block 10 configuration includes an internal 30 mm gun, small diameter bombs, and laser-guided missiles launched from the rear cargo door; and Block 20 configuration adds a 105 mm cannon, large aircraft infrared countermeasures, wing-mounted Hellfire missiles, and radio-frequency countermeasures. [44] In June 2016, Dynetics was awarded a contract by SOCOM to integrate its tactical munition onto the AC-130. Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more! The AC-130 is a heavily armed, long-endurance aircraft carrying an array of antiground-oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. [29] The decision to retain the C-130 came after funding for 16 C-27Js was removed from the fiscal 2010 budget. In late 1969, under code name "Surprise Package", 56-0490 arrived with solid-state, laser-illuminated, low light-level TV with a companion YAG laser designator, an improved forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, video recording for TV and FLIR, an inertial navigation system, and a prototype digital fire-control computer. Later gunship flights exceeded the 1979 Hurlburt-to-Guam flight. With the transition to the AC-130A, the 919 TAG was then redesignated as the 919th Special Operations Group. The test program planned for the 25 mm GAU-12/U and 40 mm Bofors cannon on the AC-130U gunships to be replaced with two 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannons. The FMU-151 has an improved arming delay with multisensitive range.[53]. The AC-130 gunships usually operate at night, because it is an easy target due to its large profile and low operating altitude. AC-130s took part in the NATO missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the 1990s. [71], On 15 November 2015, two days after the attacks in Paris by ISIL, AC-130s and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft destroyed a convoy of over 100 ISIL-operated oil tanker trucks in Syria. On 25 March 1971, it took an anti-aircraft artillery hit in the belly just aft of the nose gear wheel well over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. [7] Developed during the Vietnam War as "Project Gunship II", the AC-130 replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, or "Gunship I". The AC-130U gunship set a new record for the longest sustained flight by any C-130 on 22 and 23 October 1997, when two AC-130U gunships flew 36 hours nonstop from Hurlburt Field to Taegu Air Base (Daegu), South Korea, being refueled seven times in the air by KC-135 tankers. Codename: Warhammer was providing air support as they searched the streets of Paris for Volk. [79] AFSOC started taking delivery of the AC-130J in spring 2019, and the aircraft began deploying to Afghanistan by the summer. Ultimate End demonstrated the durability of the C-130 after surviving hits in five places by 37 mm anti-aircraft artillery on 12 December 1970, extensive left wing leading edge damage on 12 April 1971 and a 57 mm round damaging the belly and injuring one crewman on 4 March 1972. An AC-130 gunship approaches a tanker for aerial refueling during a combat mission over Afghanistan in April 2017. This website uses cookies. A typical mission had the AC–130 supporting a single brigade's ASRs followed by aerial refueling and another two hours with another brigade or SOF team. The Spectre participated in countless operations within Afghanistan, performing on-call close air support and armed reconnaissance. [70], The final AC-130H Spectre gunship, tail number 69-6569 "Excalibur" was retired on 26 May 2015 at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The first MC-130J arrived at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB)for conversion into the AC-130J configuration in January 2013. The first aircraft would be bought in fiscal 2012, followed by two in fiscal 2013, five in fiscal 2014, and the final eight in fiscal 2015. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately. AC-130s from both the 4th and 16th Special Operations Squadrons have been deployed in nearly every conflict in which the United States has been involved, officially and unofficially, since the end of the Vietnam War. The US has used gunships with deployments to the war in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan) (2001–2014), and Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) (2003–11). The C-130 Hercules is a tactical transport aircraft which has been featured in multiple Ace Combat titles. [92], A third AC-130A, AF serial no. The AC-130H Spectre was armed with two 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannons, one L60 Bofors 40 mm cannon, and M137 105 mm cannon and M37 recoil mechanism from the M102 howitzer; after 1994, the 20 mm cannons were removed. Military analysts, such as the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, have suggested that AFSOC invest in more advanced technologies to fill the role to operate in future contested combat zones, including a mix of low-cost disposable unmanned and stealthy strike aircraft.[51]. The AC-130 flying gunship fleet is one of the most fabled and feared assets in the entire USAF inventory. [43] Called the Tactical Off-board Sensor (TOBS), the drones would be expendable and fly along a programmed orbit to verify targets the aircraft cannot see itself because of bad weather or standing off from air defenses. A direct-view night-vision telescope was installed in the forward door, an early forward-looking infrared device was placed in the forward part of the left wheel well, with miniguns and rotary cannons fixed facing down and aft along the left side. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tommie Horton) 10 Nov 2017 Spectres were also called in when the USS Mayaguez was seized, on the open sea, by Khmer Rouge soldiers and sailors on 15 May 1975. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately. [22], Plans were made to possibly replace the 105 mm cannon with a breech-loading 120 mm M120 mortar, and to give the AC-130 a standoff capability using either the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (based on the Hydra 70 rocket), or the Viper Strike glide bomb. This time lapse photo shows the tracer round trajectories. We appreciate you trying our new Live Surface Map feature. Our pilot jerked the C- 130 into a sharp vertical bank to the right and hauled back on the yoke. Also, schedule considerations drove the decision, he said. [66][67], Eight AC-130H and 17 AC-130U aircraft were in active-duty service as of July 2010. H-Model during sunset flight: A-Model Aft 20MMs "A World of Hurt"! Nope", "Future AC-130 Gunship Integrated Weapons Systems", Special Operations Gunships to Be Equipped With Improved Sensors, "Benchmark 'Dragon Spear' program earns William J. Perry Award", "US Air Force Special Operations Command Takes Delivery of First AC-130J Ghostrider", The Air Force’s newest, deadliest gunship just hit a major milestone, AC-130J poised to hit initial operational capability target, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a32580060/ac-130-gunship-lasers/, "AFSOC Wants to Research Adding Laser Weapons to AC-130", "AFSOC developing tactics for '2020' AC-130 gunship laser weapon", "Air Force Wants a Laser Weapon on AC-130J Gunship", "AFSOC Leveraging Lessons from Navy for AC-130J Laser", "AC-130 To Get Laser Guns & Air-Launched Drones: Heithold", AFSOC favours side-mounted laser for gunship, "AFSOC envisions its gunship armed with lasers, other high-tech weapons", "US special forces seek tube-launched glide bombs", Dynetics unveils new glide bomb with 16kg warhead, Dynetics Looks to Fit Niche With Small Glide Munition, Dynetics Awarded USSOCOM Small Glide Munition Contract, Dynetics awarded $470 million for increased production of glide bomb, US special operators add new munition to air-launched arsenal, Commandos Buying Thousands of Small Missiles That Pack A Bigger Punch Than Hellfires, "Air Force Commandos Will Have Fewer Aircraft, More Firepower", "Pentagon official: US attacks al Qaeda suspects in Somalia", "US Gives Its Air Power Expansive Role in Libya", "AFSOC's new weapon: Portable unmanned aircraft bases", "Air Commandos retire final AC-130H Spectre gunship", US A-10 Attack Planes Hit ISIS Oil Convoy to Crimp Terror Funding, "Congressman questions if Army Special Forces denied rescue force, fire support", "CENTCOM: AC-130 'absolutely did fire' in Marjah battle against Taliban", "Death Toll in Airstrike on Doctors Without Borders Hospital May Rise, Group Says", "U.S. Role in Afghanistan Turns to Combat Again, With a Tragic Error", AC-130U 'Spooky' Gunship Completes its Final Combat Deployment, "AC-130U “Spooky” Gunship Rolls Into Retirement", AFSOC's 'Ultimate Battle Plane' Now Operating in Afghanistan, "MC-130W Combat Spear / AC-130W Stinger II", "New AC-130J completes first test flight", "Spec Ops Profile: 1st Special Operations Wing", "ATK's GAU-23 30mm Automatic Cannon Receives Type Classification for Use on U.S. Air Force AC-130W Gunships", "Ghostrider's Big Gun: AC-130J Gets 105 ASAP; Laser Later", "The AC-130J Ghostrider Will Get A Big Ass Gun Afterall", "The USAF Finally Gives Its AC-130W Gunship the Big Gun It Desperately Needs", "Aircraft Procurement, vol 2 part 2, FY05", "ALQ-172 (EW Integrated Self Protection System)", "AN/AAQ – Airborne Infrared Multipurpose/Special Equipment", "Powerful Gunships Prowl Iraq, and Limits Show", (1977) T.O. 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