The
Lockheed AC-130 gunshipThe term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In navy:In navies, the term originally appeared in the mid-1800s as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, and
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
is responsible for the conversion into a
gunshipThe term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In navy:In navies, the term originally appeared in the mid-1800s as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
and for aircraft support. It is a variant of the
C-130 HerculesThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. Capable of takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport aircraft...
transport plane. The AC-130A Gunship II superseded the
AC-47 Gunship IThe Douglas AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
in
VietnamThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
.
The gunship's sole user is the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
, which uses
AC-130H Spectre and
AC-130U Spooky variants. The AC-130 is powered by four
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s and has an armament ranging from
20 mmThe 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
Gatling gunThe Gatling gun was one of the most well known rapid-fire weapons to be used in the 1860s by the Union forces of the American Civil War, following the 1851 invention of the mitrailleuse by the Belgian Army....
s to 105 mm
howitzerA howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s. It has a standard crew of twelve or thirteen airmen, including five officers (two pilots, a navigator, an electronic warfare officer and a fire control officer) and enlisted personnel (
flight engineerIn aviation, a flight engineer is a member of the aircrew of some aircraft. The flight engineer is responsible for monitoring and controlling many of the aircraft systems during flight.- History :...
, electronics operators and aerial gunners).
The US Air Force uses the AC-130 gunships for
close air supportIn military tactics, close air support is air action against hostile targets that requires detailed coordination and integration with ground forces. It is typically used to support ground troops, providing firepower at critical points....
,
air interdictionAir interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
, and force protection. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting
convoyA convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval convoys have been used for hundreds...
s, and flying urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets and targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include
defendingDefense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
air bases and other facilities. Currently, AC-130U Spooky model gunships are stationed at
Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
in Northwest
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and the AC-130H models are stationed at Cannon AFB,
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, it has also been part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. Among U.S...
. The gunship squadrons are part of the
Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command was established 22 May, 1990, with headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Florida. AFSOC is a United States Air Force major command and is the Air Force component to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base,...
(AFSOC), a component of
United States Special Operations CommandThe United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
(SOCOM).
Development
The C-130 Hercules was selected to replace the
AC-47 SpookyThe Douglas AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
Gunship I used during the Vietnam War, to improve gunship endurance capabilities and increase capacity to carry munitions.
In 1967, JC-130A USAF 54-1626 was selected for conversion into the prototype AC-130A gunship. The modifications were done that year at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, by the Aeronautical Systems Division. A direct view night vision telescope was installed in the forward door, an early
forward looking infraredForward looking infrared is an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation.Since FLIRs use detection of thermal energy to create the "picture" assembled for the video output, they can be used to help pilots and drivers steer their vehicles at night, and in fog, or detect warm objects against...
(FLIR) in the forward part of the left wheel well, and Gatling guns fixed facing down and aft along the left side. The
analogAn analog computer is a form of computer that uses the continuously-changeable aspects of physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved...
fire control computer prototype was handcrafted by RAF Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton at the USAF
Avionics LaboratoryWright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene and Montgomery counties, eight miles northeast of the central business district of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Part of the base is located along the city limits of Riverside and is also adjacent to Fairborn and...
. Flight testing of the prototype was subsequently performed primarily at
Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of World War I aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin...
, followed by further testing and modifications. By September 1967, the aircraft was certified ready for combat testing and was flown to
Nha Trang Air BaseNha Trang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force Force facility. It is located near the city of Nha Trang within Khanh Hoa Province in Central Southern Vietnam along the South China Sea...
,
South VietnamSouth Vietnam refers to a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the State of Vietnam and later as the “Republic of Vietnam” . Its capital was Saigon...
for a 90 day test program. The AC-130 was later supplemented by the
AC-119 ShadowThe Fairchild AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger were twin-engine piston-powered gunships developed by the United States during the Vietnam War...
Gunship III, which later proved underpowered.
Seven more aircraft were converted to the "Plain Jane" configuration like the AC-130 prototype in 1968, and one aircraft received the "Surprise Package" equipment the next year. In 1970, an additional 10 AC-130As were acquired under the "Pave Pronto" project. Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the "PAVE Spectre" project followed.
Regardless of their project names, the aircraft were more commonly referred to by the Squadron's call sign:
Spectre.
Recent and planned upgrades
In 2007, AFSOC initiated a program to upgrade the armament of existing AC-130s still in service. 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 mm30 mm/1.1811 inch ammunition refers to one of several autocannon rounds: the 30 x 173 mm, 30 x 113 mm or 30 x 165 mm; the first two of which are used by the armed forces of NATO, the latter by former Warsaw Pact nations; these rounds are used by the armies of export customer nations as...
Mk 44
Bushmaster IIThe Mk44 Bushmaster II is a 30 mm chain gun manufactured by Alliant Techsystems. It is a derivative of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster, and uses some 70% of the same parts as the M242 while increasing the firepower by as much as 50% with the 20% increase in caliber size...
cannons. In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters. However, AFSOC canceled its plans to install the new cannons on its fleet of AC-130Us. It has since removed the guns and re-installed the original 40 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duties. Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold, AFSOC's director of plans, programs, requirements and assessments, said on 11 August 2008 that the effort was canceled due to problems with the Bushmaster's accuracy in tests "at the altitude we were employing it". There were also schedule considerations that drove the decision, he said.
There are also plans to possibly replace the
M102 howitzerFirst introduced during the Vietnam War, the M102 was the light-towed 105 mm howitzer used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. It fires a variety of conventional munitions and traverses rapidly through 360 degrees...
with a
breech-loadingA breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the bullet or shell is inserted or loaded at the rear of the barrel, or breech; the opposite of muzzle-loading....
120 mm
mortarA mortar is a muzzle-loading indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber.- Function :...
, and to give the AC-130 a standoff capability using either the
AGM-114 HellfireThe AGM-114 Hellfire is a multi-platform, multi-target United States modular missile system. The name comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be a helicopter-launched fire-and-forget weapon...
missile, the
Advanced Precision Kill Weapon SystemThe Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System is a developmental program to provide a laser guided missile which is compatible with existing Hydra 70 unguided rocket systems in service.-Overview:...
(based on the
Hydra 70The Hydra 70 rocket is a weapon derived from the 2.75 inch "Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket" developed by the U.S...
rocket), or the Viper Strike
glide bombA glide bomb is an aerial bomb that is modified with aerodynamic surfaces to modify its flight path from a purely ballistic one to a flatter, gliding, one. This extends the range between the launch aircraft and the target. Glide bombs are often fitted with control systems, allowing the controlling...
.
As a result of the demand for AC-130s in Southwest Asia, Air Force Special Operations Command will increase the gunship force by converting a proposed eight MC-130W Combat Spears. The decision to stick with the C-130s to fill the need came after funding to acquire 16 C-27s had been stripped from the fiscal 2010 budget. A roll-on, roll-off kit featuring a medium-caliber gun, sensors, communications systems and even precision-guided standoff munitions can be installed on the eight MC-130Ws when needed. If the funds are approved, two of the eight kits should be installed on aircraft by the end of 2009. Also 17 new C-130J transports are to be converted into AC-130 gunships over the next five years, to replace the aging Vietnam era gunships. It is not yet known what the J-model conversion will be called when converted into a gunship platform.
Design
These heavily-armed aircraft incorporate side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation and fire control systems to provide precision firepower or area-saturation fire with its varied armament. The AC-130 can spend long periods flying over their target area at night and in adverse weather. The sensor suite consists of a television sensor,
infraredInfrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light , but shorter than that of terahertz radiation and microwaves...
sensor, and
radarRadar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
. These sensors allow the gunship to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets in most weather conditions.
The AC-130U is equipped with the AN/APQ-180, a
synthetic aperture radarSynthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar in which multiple radar images are processed to yield higher resolution images than would be possible by conventional means...
for long-range target detection and identification. The gunship's navigational devices include
inertial navigation systemAn Inertial Navigation System is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object without the need for external references...
s and a
Global Positioning SystemThe Global Positioning System is a U.S. space-based global navigation satellite system. It provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to worldwide users on a continuous basis in all weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth.GPS is made up of three parts: between 24...
. The AC-130U employs technologies developed in the 1990s and can attack two targets simultaneously. It also has twice the
munitionsAmmunition, often informally referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
capacity of the AC-130H. Although the AC-130U conducts some operations in daylight, majority of its combat missions are conducted at night.
During the Vietnam era the various AC-130 versions following the Pave Pronto modifications were equipped with a
magnetic anomaly detectorA magnetic anomaly detector is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines ; the military MAD gear is a descendent of geomagnetic survey instruments used to search for...
(MAD) system called the Black Crow (AN/ASD-5), a highly sensitive passive device with a phased-array
antennaAn antenna is a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves. In other words, antennas convert electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa. Antennas are used in systems such as radio and television broadcasting, point-to-point radio communication, wireless...
located in the left-front nose
radomeA radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
that could pick up localized deviations in
earth's magnetic fieldEarth's magnetic field is approximately a magnetic dipole, with the magnetic field S pole near the Earth's geographic north pole and the other magnetic field N pole near the Earth's geographic south pole...
and is normally used to detect submerged
submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability...
s. The Black Crow system on the AC-130A/E/H could accurately detect the unshielded
ignition coilAn ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system which transforms the battery's 12 volts to the thousands of volts needed to spark the spark plugs...
s of North Vietnamese trucks that were hidden under the dense foliage of the jungle canopy along the
Ho Chi Minh trailThe Ho Chi Minh trail was a path that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
. It could also detect the signal from a hand-held transmitter that was used by air controllers on the ground to identify and locate specific target types. The system was slaved into the targeting computer.
PGM-38/U 25 mm ammunition for AC-130U
The PGM-38/U Enhanced 25 mm
High Explosive IncendiaryIn warfare, High-explosive incendiary is a type of ammunition specially designed to pierce armor, fragment, and ignite readily combustible materials....
(HEI) round was created to expand the AC-130U gunships' mission in standoff range and survivability for its 25 mm
GAU-12/UThe General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
gun system. This round is a combination of the existing PGU-25 HEI and a M758 fuse designated as FMU-151/B to meet the MIL-STD-1316. The FMU-151 has an improved arming delay with multi-sensitive range.
Operational history
The AC-130 Gunship first arrived in South Vietnam on 21 September 1967 under the Gunship II program, and began combat operations over Laos and South Vietnam that year. By 30 October 1968, enough AC-130 Gunship IIs arrived to form a squadron, the
16th Special Operations SquadronThe 16th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB , New Mexico. It operates AC-130H Spectre aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
(SOS) of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), at
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force BaseUbon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility and is the home of Wing 21 of the RTAF 2nd Air Division. It is located in East-Central Thailand, near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in the Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 305 miles North-East of Bangkok...
,
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
. By December 1968 most AC-130s were flown under
F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
escort from the 479th Tactical Fighter Squadron, normally three Phantoms per Gunship. In late 1969, under the code name of "Surprise Package", 56-0490 arrived with solid state laser illuminated low light level TV with a companion YAG
laser designatorA laser designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions, such as the Paveway series of bombs, Lockheed-Martin's Hellfire, or the Copperhead round, respectively.When a...
, an improved
forward looking infraredForward looking infrared is an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation.Since FLIRs use detection of thermal energy to create the "picture" assembled for the video output, they can be used to help pilots and drivers steer their vehicles at night, and in fog, or detect warm objects against...
(FLIR) sensor, video recording for TV and FLIR, an
inertial navigation systemAn Inertial Navigation System is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object without the need for external references...
, and a prototype
digitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
fire control computer.
Surprise Package was equipped with the latest
20 mmThe 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
Gatling guns and
40 mm Bofors cannonThe Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies as well as various other forces...
, but no 7.62 mm close support armament. Surprise Package was refitted with upgraded similar equipment in the summer of 1970, and then redeployed to Ubon RTAFB. Surprise Package served as a test bed for the avionic systems and armament for the AC-130E. In the summer of 1971, Surprise Package was converted to the Pave Pronto configuration, and assumed its new nickname, Thor.
In Vietnam, they destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and participated in many crucial close air support missions. Six Spectres were lost to enemy fire. During Operation Urgent Fury (Invasion of Grenada) in 1983, AC-130s suppressed enemy air defense systems and attacked ground forces enabling the successful assault of the
Point Salines AirfieldMaurice Bishop International Airport, formerly Point Salines International Airport is located in the parish of St. George's. The town of St. George's is about 5 miles north of the airport and is the capital of the island nation of Grenada. The airport is located on Point Salines, the most...
via
airdropAn airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by pushing small crates with parachutes out of the...
and air land of friendly forces. The AC-130 aircrew earned the
Lieutenant General William H. TunnerWilliam Henry Tunner was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces...
Award for the mission.
AC-130s also had a primary role during the
invasion of PanamaThe United States invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989, during the administration of U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and ten years before the Panama Canal was transferred from control of the United States, back to...
in 1989 (Operation Just Cause) when they destroyed
Panama Defense ForcePanama is the second country in Latin America to permanently abolish standing armies. This came as a result of a US invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled the country from 1968 to 1989...
headquarters and numerous command and control facilities. Aircrews earned the
Mackay TrophyThe Mackay Trophy was donated in 1911 by Clarence H. Mackay who was then head of the Postal Telegraph-Cable Company and the Commercial Cable Company. The award is administered by the United States National Aeronautic Association and is awarded yearly by the United States Air Force for the "most...
for the most meritorious flight of the year and the
Tunner AwardWilliam Henry Tunner was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces...
for their efforts.
During
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
of 1990-91 (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), AC-130s provided close air support and force protection (air base defense) for ground forces, and battlefield interdiction. The primary interdiction targets were early warning/
ground control interceptGround-controlled interception an air defense tactic whereby one or more radar stations are linked to a command communications center guides interceptor aircraft to an airborne target. This tactic was pioneered by the Royal Air Force during the World War II, although the Luftwaffe eventually built...
(EW/GCI) sites along the southern border of Iraq. The first gunship to enter the
Battle of KhafjiThe Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. It took place in and around the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji, from 29 January to 1 February 1991 and marked the culmination of the Coalition's air campaign over Kuwait and Iraq, which had begun on 17 January 1991.Iraqi...
helped stop a southbound Iraqi armored column on 29 January 1991. One day later, three more gunships provided further aid to
MarinesThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
participating in the operation. The gunships attacked Iraqi positions and columns moving south to reinforce their positions north of the city.
Despite the threat of
surface-to-air missileA Surface to Air Missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system....
s (SAMs) and increasing visibility during the early morning hours of 31 January 1991, one AC-130H, AF Serial No. 69-6567, call sign Spirit 03, opted to stay to continue to protect the Marines. A SAM subsequently shot down Spirit 03, and all fourteen crew members perished.
The military has used AC-130 gunships during the humanitarian operations in Somalia (Operation Restore Hope) and (
Operation United ShieldOperation United Shield was the name given to the US military operation of evacuating all remaining 6,200 UN peacekeeping troops from Somalia from January to March of 1995, the troops were made up of Americans, Pakistanis and Egyptians. .General Peay of the United States Army and Lieutenant Gen....
) in 1992/1993, in the
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and in
Operation Silver WakeOperation Silver Wake was a noncombatant evacuation operation led by the United States to evacuate American citizens, noncombatants and designated third country nationals from Albania in March 1997. The operation was performerd by U.S. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting...
in 1997, the evacuation of
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
non-combatants in
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
.
In the late 1970s when the AC-130H fleet was first being modified for in-flight refueling capability, a demonstration mission was planned and flown from Hurlburt Field, Florida, non-stop, to conduct a 2-hour live-fire mission over Empire Firing Range in the Republic of Panama, then return home. This 13-hour mission with two in-flight refuelings from KC-135 tankers proved the validity of flying long-range missions outside CONUS to attack targets, then return to home base without intermediate stops.
In July 1979, AC-130H crews deployed to Howard AB, Panama Canal Zone, as a precaution against possible hostile actions against American personnel during the time the Sandinistas seized control of Nicaragua from Somoza. New time aloft and non-stop distance records were subsequently set by a 16th SOS 2-ship AC-130H formation flight that departed Hurlburt Field on November 13, 1979, and landed safely on November 15 at Andersen AB, Guam, a distance of >7,200 nautical miles and 29 hours and 43 minutes non-stop duration, with four inflight refuelings (this flight was documented in Lockheed records and in an article by pilot Lt Col Jim Lawrence in the June 1995 edition of AFSOC Night Flyer magazine).
Refueling support for the Guam deployment was provided by KC-135 crews from the 305th Air Refueling Wing from Grissom AFB, Indiana. At Guam, AC-130H crews through trial and error developed communications-out/lights-out refueling procedures for later employment. This deployment with the 1 SOW/CC as Task Force commander was directed from the office of the CJCS due to fear that Iranian militants could begin executing American Embassy personnel who had been taken hostage on 4 November. One early option considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran. Later gunship flights exceeded the 1979 Hurlburt to Guam flight.
The AC-130U model gunship set a new record for the longest sustained flight by any C-130 with a mission from the 22nd through the 24th of October 1997, when two AC-130U gunships flew 36.0 hours nonstop from
Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida to Taegu Air Base (Daegu),
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
while being refueled seven times in the air by
KC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was the first jet powered aerial refueling tanker of the US Air Force, replacing the KC-97 Stratotanker. Similar in design to the later and enlarged Boeing 707 airliner, it was initially tasked to refuel strategic bombers, but was used extensively in the Vietnam war...
aircraft. This record flight shattered the previous record C-130 longest flight by over 6 hours, while the two U-model gunships took on 410,000 lb (186,000 kg) of fuel. Gunships also were part of the buildup of U.S. forces in 1998 to convince
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
to comply with
UNThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
weapons inspections.
The United States later used gunships during
Operation Enduring FreedomOperation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its War in Afghanistan and Iraq, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its Global War on Terror...
(Afghanistan 2001- ), and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003- ). In 2007 US Special Operations forces used the AC-130 in attacks on suspected
al-QaedaAl-Qaeda , alternatively spelled al-Qaida and sometimes al-Qa'ida, is an Islamist group founded sometime between August 1988 and late 1989 and early 1990...
militants in
SomaliaSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa...
. The AC-130 has the distinction of never having a base under its protection lost to the enemy.
Gunship Deployments
AC-130s from both the
4thThe 4th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates AC-130U Spooky aircraft providing special operations capability.-Mission:...
and
16thThe 16th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB , New Mexico. It operates AC-130H Spectre aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
Special Operations Squadrons have been deployed in virtually every conflict the U.S. has been involved in, officially and unofficially. These include deployments supporting the following conflicts:
- Operation Iraqi Freedom - Iraq, 2003-Present
- Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its War in Afghanistan and Iraq, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its Global War on Terror...
- Afghanistan, 2001-Present
- Operation Allied Force
The NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 11, 1999...
- Kosovo, March-July, 1999
- Operation Assured Response - Liberia, 1996
- Operation Deny Flight
Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
/Joint EndeavorOperation Joint Endeavour was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deployment of the peacekeeping force IFOR to Bosnia beginning in December 1995. The operation was the biggest military mission in the history of NATO...
- Bosnia, 1993-99
- Operation Support Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy was a response to the overthrow and expulsion of the duly elected government of Haiti by a military coup....
- Haiti, 1994
- Operation Restore Hope - Somalia, 1992-94
- Operation Desert Storm - Iraq/Kuwait, 1991
- Operation Just Cause - Panama, 1989
- Operation Urgent Fury - Grenada, 1983
Current aircraft
The AC-130H has a unit cost of US$132.4 million, and the AC-130U a unit cost of US$190 million (fiscal 2001 constant dollars). Currently there are eight AC-130H and seventeen AC-130U aircraft in active duty service.
Operators
:
- United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
- Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command was established 22 May, 1990, with headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Florida. AFSOC is a United States Air Force major command and is the Air Force component to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base,...
- 1st Special Operations Wing
The 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
- 4th Special Operations Squadron
The 4th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates AC-130U Spooky aircraft providing special operations capability.-Mission:...
- 16th Special Operations Squadron
The 16th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB , New Mexico. It operates AC-130H Spectre aircraft in support of special operations.-Mission:...
- 19th Special Operations Squadron
The 19th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It conducts crew training for AC-130 and MC-130 aircraft.-History:...
Aircraft on display
One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
was AF Serial No. 53-3129, named
First Lady in November 1970. In addition to being the first AC-130, this aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. On 25 March 1971, it took an
anti-aircraft artilleryAnti-aircraft warfare, or air defence, is any method of engaging hostile military aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces or denial of passage through a specific airspace region, area or anti-aircraft combat zone...
hit in the nose over the
Ho Chi Minh trailThe Ho Chi Minh trail was a path that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
in
LaosLaos , officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and People's Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck. In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the
Air Force ReserveThe Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
, where it served with the
711th Special Operations SquadronThe 711th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida. It operates MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft providing special operations capability.-History:...
of the
919th Special Operations WingThe 919th Special Operations Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command wing of the United States Air Force, operationally-gained by the Air Force Special Operations Command and based at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3 / Duke Field, Florida.-Mission:The 919 SOW provides and maintains the MC-130E Combat...
. In 1980 the aircraft was upgraded from the original three-bladed propellers to the quieter four-bladed propellers and was eventually retired in late 1995. The retirement also marked an end to the
Air Force Reserve CommandThe Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
flying the AC-130A. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings, the four-bladed Hamilton Standard props at the
Air Force Armament MuseumThe Air Force Armament Museum, adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the only facility in the U.S. dedicated to the display of Air Force armament...
at
Eglin Air Force BaseEglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of World War I aviator and test pilot Lt Col Frederick Irving Eglin...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
USA.
A second AC-130A, AF Serial No. 56-0509, named the
Ultimate End, was accepted by the Air Force on 28 February 1957, and modified to the AC-130A configuration on 27 July 1970. The aircraft participated in the Vietnam war and the rescue of the USS Mayaguez.
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. "Ultimate End" was reassigned to the Air Force Reserve's
919th Special Operations WingThe 919th Special Operations Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command wing of the United States Air Force, operationally-gained by the Air Force Special Operations Command and based at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3 / Duke Field, Florida.-Mission:The 919 SOW provides and maintains the MC-130E Combat...
at
Duke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States.-Duke Field:...
on 17 June 1975, where it continued in service until retired in the fall 1994 and transferred to
Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command was established 22 May, 1990, with headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Florida. AFSOC is a United States Air Force major command and is the Air Force component to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base,...
's
Heritage Air Park at
Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, FL. While assigned to the
711th Special Operations SquadronThe 711th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida. It operates MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft providing special operations capability.-History:...
,
Ultimate End served in Operations JUST CAUSE in Panama, DESERT STORM in Kuwait and Iraq, and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti. After 36 years and seven months of service, 24 years as a gunship,
Ultimate End retired from active service on 1 October 1994. It made its last flight from
Duke FieldDuke Field , also known as Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3, is a military airport located three miles south of the central business district of Crestview, in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States.-Duke Field:...
to
Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
on 20 October 1994. The Spectre Association dedicated "Ultimate End" (which served with the 16 SOS in Vietnam) on 4 May 1995. 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.
A third AC-130A, AF Serial No. 54-1630, is on display in the Cold War Gallery at the
National Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official National Museum of the United States Air Force and is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. More than 400 aircraft and missiles are on...
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Named
Azrael (
AzraelAzrael is the Islamic Archangel of Death. He is also the Angel of Death in Judeo-Christian extrabiblical tradition and folklore. It is an English form of the Arabic name Azra'il or Azra'eil , the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in Islam and some...
, in the Koran, is the angel of death who severs the soul from the body) this aircraft figured prominently in the closing hours of Operation Desert Storm. On 26 February 1991, Coalition ground forces were driving the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. With an Air Force Reserve crew called to active duty, Azrael was sent to the
Al Jahra highwayThe Highway of Death refers to a road between Kuwait and Basra on which retreating Iraqi military personnel were attacked and killed by American aircraft and ground forces during the United Nations Coalition offensive in the Gulf War, on the night of February 26–27, 1991, resulting in the...
(Highway 80) between
Kuwait CityKuwait City , is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. It has an estimated population of 63,600 within city limits and 2.38 million in the metropolitan area...
and
BasraAl-Baṣrah is the capital of Basra Province, and had an estimated population of 3,800,200 as of 2009. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it is incapable of deep water access, which is handled at the the port of Umm Qasr...
, Iraq, to intercept the convoys of tanks, trucks, buses, and cars fleeing the battle. Facing SA-6 and SA-8 surface-to-air missiles and 37 mm and 57 mm radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery the crew attacked and destroyed or disabled most of the convoys.
Azrael was also assigned to the
919th Special Operations WingThe 919th Special Operations Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command wing of the United States Air Force, operationally-gained by the Air Force Special Operations Command and based at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3 / Duke Field, Florida.-Mission:The 919 SOW provides and maintains the MC-130E Combat...
and retired to the museum in October 1995.
A fourth AC-130A, AF Serial No. 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 ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official National Museum of the United States Air Force and is located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. More than 400 aircraft and missiles are on...
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Specifications
Armament
AC-130A Project Gunship II
- 4× 7.62 mm
The 7.62x51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries. Specifications for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge are not identical to the commercial .308 Winchester though they are safely interchangeable....
GAU-2/A minigunThe Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
s
- 4× 20 mm
The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
M61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon, which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for...
cannonAn autocannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannon often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannon are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a faster rate of fire...
AC-130A Surprise Package, Pave Pronto, AC-130E Pave Spectre
- 2× 7.62 mm GAU-2/A miniguns
- 2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
- 2× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. It was one of the most popular medium-weight anti-aircraft systems during World War II, used by most of the western Allies as well as various other forces...
AC-130E Pave Aegis
- 2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
First introduced during the Vietnam War, the M102 was the light-towed 105 mm howitzer used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. It fires a variety of conventional munitions and traverses rapidly through 360 degrees...
AC-130H Spectre
(Prior to circa 2003)
- 2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
(Current Armament)
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
AC-130U Spooky II
- 1× 25 mm (0.984 in)
The 25 mm caliber/.98425 inch is one of the standard sizes of cannon and autocannon ammunition for NATO forces. The round itself has a length of approximately 223 mm .-Usage:...
5-barrel GAU-12/U EqualizerThe General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling gun-style rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their fighter jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based...
Gatling gunThe Gatling gun was one of the most well known rapid-fire weapons to be used in the 1860s by the Union forces of the American Civil War, following the 1851 invention of the mitrailleuse by the Belgian Army....
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
AC-130U Plus 4 / AC-130U+4 (cancelled)
- 2× 30 mm Bushmaster II
The Mk44 Bushmaster II is a 30 mm chain gun manufactured by Alliant Techsystems. It is a derivative of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster, and uses some 70% of the same parts as the M242 while increasing the firepower by as much as 50% with the 20% increase in caliber size...
cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
See also
External links