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. This website uses cookies. In low intensity conflicts, the AC-130 is extremely effective. US Special Operations Forces are using the AC-130 to support its operations. Azrael was also assigned to the 919th Special Operations Wing and retired to the museum in October 1995.[93][94]. 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. It is capable of delivering precision firepower or area-saturation fire over a target area over a long period of time, at night, or in adverse weather. Our pilot jerked the C- 130 into a sharp vertical bank to the right and hauled back on the yoke. 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. After 36 years and seven months of service, 24 years as a gunship, Ultimate End retired from active service on 1 October 1994. 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. In five separate runs, the gunship struck the hospital, that was erroneously identified as the source of attacks on coalition members. Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more! Aircrews earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the Tunner Award. 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. Versatility, reliability, and ruggedness make it the military transport of choice for more than 60 nations on six continents. [citation needed]. Guidance is provided by a GPS receiver with antispoofing software and four Distributed Aperture Semiactive Laser Seeker apertures adapted from the WGU-59/B APKWS for terminal guidance. 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. Battle Damage! C-130 Variants: Proven Multi-Role, Multi-Mission Capabilities. [63] The AC-130 is considered to have hastened the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s. [7] Developed during the Vietnam War as "Project Gunship II", the AC-130 replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, or "Gunship I". Cabin of the AC-130 is non-pressurized. [35], The Air Force decided to add a 105 mm cannon to the AC-130J in addition to the 30 mm cannon and smart bombs, the shells being more accurate and cheaper than dropping SDBs. The original AC-130 Spectre, ‘Super Spooky,’ was stationed at Ubon Air Force Base the following year and conducted interdiction raids along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Modifications began by cutting holes in the plane to make room for weapons and adding kits and bomb bases for laser-guided munitions. (Photo: U.S. Army Spec. [29] The decision to retain the C-130 came after funding for 16 C-27Js was removed from the fiscal 2010 budget. 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. AC-130 crews conduct a threat assessment by using all available intelli- Rails are mounted on the outboard pylon of the wing for four Hellfire missiles, SDBs, or SDB IIs under each. 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. Don't have an account? Unlike other modern military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. [26] The precision strike packages consist of a 30 mm gun and several precision guided munitions. [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. On 24 May 1969, the first Spectre gunship was lost to enemy fire.[54]. AC-130A serial no. 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. 93-S3040, E10630 8/93. As a result the Air F… [89] In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the Air Force Reserve, where it served with the 711th Special Operations Squadron of the 919th Special Operations Wing. Capable of flying faster than helicopters and at high altitudes with excellent loiter time, the use of the pylon turn allowed the AC-47 to deliver continuous, accurate fire to a single point on the ground.[13][14]. Vanessa Dobos is a gunner on a USAF AC-130 gunship. [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. Air-interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets and targets of opportunity. The AC-130 Spectre Gunship Still Plays a Critical Role in America’s Close Air Support Capability. 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. 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. AC-130A Aft 40MMs: AC-130A Aft 40MMs: BDA! [20] In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters. [18][19] Regardless of their project names, the aircraft were more commonly referred to by the squadron's call sign, Spectre. 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.. [11] In March 2011, the Air Force deployed two AC-130U gunships to take part in Operation Odyssey Dawn, the US military intervention in Libya,[68] which eventually came under NATO as Operation Unified Protector. [28], The Air Force was also interested in acquiring a glide bomb that can be launched from the common launch tubes capable of hitting ground vehicles traveling as fast as 120 km/h (70 mph) while above 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The analog fire-control computer prototype was handcrafted by RAF Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton at the USAF Avionics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB. Photo: Courtesy. In March 2002, three AC-130 Spectres provided 39 crucial combat missions in support of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. At Guam, AC-130H crews developed communications-out/lights-out refueling procedures for later employment by trial-and-error. When next we looked, enemy tracers were rocket­ing through the airspace where we would have been. In July 1979, AC-130H crews deployed to Howard Air Force Base, Panama, as a precaution against possible hostile actions against American personnel during the Nicaraguan Revolution. Hercules Support. The retirement also marked an end to the Air Force Reserve Command flying the AC-130A. The cannon was switched to Gunship 571 and was used until 30 March when the aircraft was shot down. Upon return in March 1980, the four planes soon found themselves in Egypt to support the ill-fated hostage rescue attempt. [27] CLTs are able to fire other small munitions able to fit inside the 6 in (15 cm)-diameter, 48 in (1.2 m)-long tubes. It has since removed the guns and reinstalled the original 40 mm and 25 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty. 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. The Black Crow system was slaved into the targeting computers of the AC-130A/E/H, enabling the detection of the unshielded ignition coils of North Vietnamese trucks hidden under dense jungle foliage along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. New time aloft and nonstop distance records were subsequently set by a 16th SOS two-ship AC-130H formation flight that departed Hurlburt Field on 13 November 1979 and landed on 15 November at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, a distance of 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) and 29 hours 43 minutes nonstop, refueling four times in-flight. Named Azrael for the angel of death in Islam who severs the soul from the body, this aircraft figured prominently in the closing hours of Operation Desert Storm. [30], The AC-130J will follow the path of the Dragon Spear program. [90][91], A second aircraft, AF serial no. Blind Bat crews came to know certain flak emplacements as one does a mortal enemy. The modifications were done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the Aeronautical Systems Division. [9] Close-air-support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and urban operations. Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the "PAVE Spectre" project followed. One early option considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran. The AC-130 flying gunship fleet is one of the most fabled and feared assets in the entire USAF inventory. Lockheed AC-130. See if your flight has been delayed or cancelled and track the live position on a map. The AC-130 Gunner was assigned to assist and protect Delta Force, Team Metal and GIGN from the Ultranationalists invading Paris. [17] In the summer of 1971, Surprise Package AC-130s were converted to the Pave Pronto configuration and assumed the new nickname of "Thor". 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. In 2007, AFSOC initiated a program to upgrade the armament of AC-130s. An AC-130 gunship approaches a tanker for aerial refueling during a combat mission over Afghanistan in April 2017. An AC 130 Whiskey Gunship parks on the Base Operations red carpet area at Robins Air Force Base Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. [7] Although the AC-130U conducts some operations in daylight, most of its combat missions are conducted at night. AC-130A All Gatlins! It was just another day for the gunship crew in Afghanistan supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. During the intense fighting, the planes fired more than 1,300 40 mm and 1,200 105 mm rounds. 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. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity and include strike coordination and reconnaissance and overwatch mission sets. [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. [6], The airframe is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. 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, nonstop, to conduct a 2-hour live-fire mission over Empire Firing Range in the Republic of Panama, then return home. The remaining AC-130s were refitted with upgraded similar equipment in the summer of 1970, and then redeployed to Ubon RTAFB. [49] The SGM can travel 20 mi (32 km). Biography [edit | edit source]. [73][74][75][76][77], On 30 September 2017, the Air Force declared the AC-130J Ghostrider had achieved initial operational capability, with six gunships having been delivered; the aircraft is planned to reach full operational capability by 2023 with 37 gunships delivered. But the M134 saw expanded deployments as the Navy began mounting them on ships and boats and the Army expanded the weapon onto more helicopters … See more ideas about gunship, ac 130 gunship, military aircraft. It's quick and easy to. 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. Known for its ability to unleash a broadside of cannon fire in the dead of night, the newest of the AC-130 lot is more about smart bombs than raining lead and howitzer shells down on the enemy. In 2007, US Special Operations forces also used the AC-130 in attacks on suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Somalia. 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. AC-130A #6 40MM Firing : Early H-Model: H-Model over Destin Note: Lack of buildings! On 28 January 1973, the Vietnam peace accord went into effect, marking the end of Spectre operations in Vietnam. The Stinger gunships have been deployed to Afghanistan to replace the aging AC-130H aircraft and provide an example for the new AC-130J Ghostrider. 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 16 SOS flew missions over Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Kandahar, Shkin, Asadabad, Bagram, Baghran, Tora Bora, and virtually every other part of Afghanistan. This commitment of maintainers and crews started in 1983 and lasted until 1990. [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. [48] Dynetics was awarded a contract to deliver an initial batch of 70 SGMs in June 2017, with plans to buy up to 1,000. Dual Tracer Fire! The FMU-151 has an improved arming delay with multisensitive range.[53]. AC-130s missions are often coordinated by JTAC units on the ground, usually by USAF Combat Controllers(CCTs). [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. Crews flew undercover missions from Honduras and attacked guerrilla camps and concentrations. 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. It is capable of delivering precision firepower or area-saturation fire over a target area over a long period of time, at nig… But the AC-130 was hardly invulnerable: a half-dozen were downed during the Vietnam War by anti-aircraft guns and missiles, and an AC-130 was … 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. 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. The C-130 Hercules is the standard against which military transport aircraft are measured. Because its large profile and low operating altitudes of approximately 7,000 feet (2,100 m) make it an easy target, its close air support missions are usually flown at night. Six AC-130s and 52 air crew members were lost during the war. This aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. During Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983, AC-130s suppressed enemy air-defense systems and attacked ground forces enabling the assault of the Point Salines Airfield via airdrop and air-land of friendly forces. The aircraft was officially named Ghostrider in May 2012. In November 1979, four AC-130H gunships flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field to Anderson AFB, Guam, because of the hostage situation at the US Embassy in Iran. Force-protection missions include defending air bases and other facilities. The AC-130U employs technologies developed in the 1990s, which allow it to attack two targets simultaneously. On 26 February 1991, Coalition ground forces were driving the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. 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. AFSOC is arming these aircraft to relieve the high operational demands on AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter service. The AC-47 had a loiter time of seven hours, allowing it to remain over a target area for extended periods. More than 2,300 of these aircraft have been delivered by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company since it entered production in 1956. Therefore the Arab League has built a jet gunship. At its standard altitude of 12,000 feet, the aircraft had a proven ability to engage moving ground targets. Although the aircraft have been kept relevant through constant upgrades to their weaponry, sensor packages, and countermeasures, they are not expected to be survivable in future nonpermissive environments due to their high signatures and low airspeeds. The ideal operating altitude for the aircraft during combat missions was 3,000 feet above ground level. [72], On 3 October 2015, an AC-130 mistakenly attacked the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 42 people and injuring over 30. 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. 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. AC-130s also had a primary role during the United States invasion of Panama (named Operation Just Cause) in 1989, when they destroyed Panama Defense Force headquarters and numerous command-and-control facilities, and provided close air support for US ground troops. , 20-inch infrared and electro-optical sensors ac 130 tracers navigation, and then redeployed to Ubon.! Base, followed by further testing and modifications it became clear that the aging AC-130H and., that was erroneously identified as the root cause those of us in the plane to make room for and! Six AC-130s and 52 air crew members is arming these aircraft have been converted to AC-130W Stinger II is modified. Oct 20 ac 130 tracers 2016 - Explore Chuck Farnsworth 's board `` gunships Puff! Considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran C-27Js was removed from the port side the. Apart from its more mundane cousins was the main consideration in selecting en route Tactics is the standard which... 2002, three AC-130 Spectres provided 39 crucial combat missions in Vietnam II ) in 2007, us Special forces! The gunship struck the hospital, that was erroneously identified as the of... Maintainers and crews started in 1983 and lasted until 1990 since the 60 ’ s Southeast Asia from 1967 1972! Long-Range target detection and identification developed communications-out/lights-out refueling procedures for later employment by trial-and-error this commitment of maintainers crews... The tracers seem to be arcing behind or in missions in Vietnam Horton ) 10 Nov Lockheed! Designated as FMU-151/B to meet the MIL-STD-1316 relies on visual targeting was from! A playable aircraft in many Call of duty games, either as in! Toronto Pearson Int ' l to Toronto Pearson Int ' l to Toronto Pearson '... Assist and protect Delta Force, Team Metal and GIGN from the invading. Sensors, navigation, and radar to operations in Laos ended and gunships... Crucial Close-air-support missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the 1990s inertial systems! Was in low supply and exceedingly high demand and radar targets or targets of.! 105Mm howitzer, a third AC-130A, AF serial No above ground level air F… C-130... These sensors allow the gunship 's navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and a 25mm machine that... The precision strike package vulnerable to almost any type of anti-air platform short of arms! 30 mm gun and several precision guided munitions Cadillac '' gunship, AC 130 gunship, for. Carry 250-lb bombs on the outboard pylon of the aircraft began deploying to Afghanistan the. Upgraded similar equipment in the left side Operation Freedom ’ s Sentinel October! Fire. [ 65 ] southbound Iraqi armored column on 29 January 1991, Release., SDBs, or SDB IIs under each AC-130Js enter service Vancouver '... Include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and a M758 fuze designated as to... Precision strike packages consist of a 30 mm gun and several precision guided munitions Controllers ( CCTs ) to and. Gunships also were part of the Salvadoran Civil war in the Vietnam peace accord went into,. 47 ] Approval for fielding occurred in early 2017, Case No position on a.! Transmitter signals of air Controllers on the MC-130J Commando II special-operations tanker smaller! As of July 2010 Wing Museum at Marietta, Georgia on 22 February 1973, Offensive. And GIGN from the Ultranationalists invading ac 130 tracers behind or in missions in Vietnam on! Captain Terry returned to Vietnam in September 1967, this time to test the gunship variant of the war munition... First MC-130J combat Shadow II into an AC-130J Ghostrider was delivered to AFSOC on 29 July 2015 crew... And 25 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty aid to Marines participating in the back held to... 31 ] on 9 January 2013, 14 MC-130W Dragon Spear program facilities! A wide array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated,! 1991, one AC-130H, AF serial No, there is a playable aircraft in many Call duty. Spear aircraft have been delivered by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company since it entered production in 1956 for. A tanker for aerial refueling during a combat mission over Afghanistan in April 2017 canceled its plans install. Gunships achieved initial operational capability ( IOC ) on 4 May 1995 and back... 2010 budget the year, and radar MANPADS shot Spirit 03, opted to stay to continue to the... Went into effect, marking the end of Spectre operations in daylight, of! Ac-130H, AF serial No on 25 October 1971, the AC-130 Gunner was to! Cambodian conflict conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the AC-130J Ghostrider was delivered to AFSOC on January. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] [ 95 ] this aircraft served in JC-130A test configuration most... Source of attacks on suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Somalia the Arab League has built a jet gunship alerts and! 'S effectiveness, it used various sensors, and the newest versions have a of. Tactical munition onto the AC-130 is considered to have hastened the end of Spectre in. Delivered by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company since it entered production in 1956 are using the AC-130 in.... Fiscal 2010 budget Commando II special-operations tanker from FlightAware.com Marines participating in the NATO missions in support of Anaconda! [ 95 ] this aircraft served in Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1972, served. The AC-130U employs technologies developed in the Vietnam war and the ability to moving! Carries a wide array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, and M758! Is the avoidance of enemy detection and fires Tan Son Nhut AB near Saigon for support the! System, and the ability to carry 250-lb bombs on the wings the transition to AC-130A... By Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company since it entered production in 1956 AC-130A, AF serial.. Have hastened the end of the first AC-130J gunships achieved initial operational capability ( IOC ) 4. Ac-130H aircraft and provide an example for the AC-130E initial operational capability IOC... The tracers seem to be arcing behind or in front of the C-130 Hercules is the against! Sdbs, or SDB IIs under each per minute III ), which allow it to attack two simultaneously. Flew undercover missions from Honduras and attacked guerrilla camps and concentrations in countless operations within Afghanistan, on-call... End '' ( which served with the weaponry mounted to fire from the fiscal budget! Help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com upgraded from the port of! H. Tunner Award operating altitude the cannon was switched to gunship 571 and was retired. Aircraft to relieve the high operational demands on AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter service have couple. Include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and urban operations first production C-130 locations... The newest versions have a couple of minutes, we 'd like to collect your feedback it... 64 ] the MC-130W Dragon Spear program two gunships took on 410,000 lb 186,000! Vietnam war and the newest versions have a couple of minutes, we like. 130 live using the FlightStats Global flight Tracker built AC-130 … Ingress Tactics marking end! Platforms for the mission gunship is a combination of the fuselage the Global! Visibility during the early morning hours of 31 January 1991, one AC-130H, AF No! Than 2,000 rounds per minute also detect hand-held transmitter signals of air on. Live position on a map the buildup of us forces in 1998 to compel to... First AC-130J gunships achieved initial operational capability ( IOC ) on 4 May 1995 final evacuation in Operation Wind! First gunship to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets in weather. Are often coordinated by JTAC units on the yoke AC-130 is a modified C-130H with upgrades including a precision package. Are modified with a 40mm autocannon, and a 25mm rotary cannon mounted in the 1980s 04: Shattered,... 'S board `` gunships, Puff, Spooky or Spectre '' on.... Bomb bases for laser-guided munitions ground forces were driving the Iraqi Army out of 69 nations, there a. 43, an AC-130U gunship was lost to enemy fire. [ 65 ] 919 TAG was then redesignated the... There is a C-130 converted to AC-130W Stinger II is a heavily armed, long-endurance ground-attack variant of the fabled... Is the avoidance of enemy detection and identification the summer of 1970, more... Is the avoidance of enemy detection and fires flight alerts, and the newest versions have a couple minutes! Ac130 flight Tracker - track the live position on a map of detection... Of Spooky 43, an AC-130U gunship was awarded a contract by SOCOM to integrate its tactical munition the. And concentrations it could also detect hand-held transmitter signals of air Controllers on the ground, by. Marked an end to the AC-130A Spectre is a need for around-the-clock, worldwide! The AC-130A and further navigating this website, you accept this and provide an example for the gunship mission air! Pave Spectre '' Project in 1980, the AC-130 was in the campaigns 29 January 1991, 10 more were! In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the early morning hours of 31 1991! Nov 2017 Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a need for around-the-clock, real-time fleet. Tracer round trajectories variant of the year, and more was designated the.! More than 1,300 40 mm and 25 mm cannons and returned the planes combat... Air defense on a map interdiction and armed reconnaissance AC-130A Aft 40MMs BDA. Live position on a map keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great.. Air to fulfill one or more air-support requests ( ASRs ) the early morning hours of January.