AC-130 Spectre/Spooky/Stinger II/Ghostrider | |
---|---|
An AC-130U gunship from the 4th Special Operations Squadron | |
Role | Ground-attack aircraft and close air supportgunship |
Manufacturer | Lockheed Lockheed Martin Boeing |
First flight | AC-130A: 1966 |
Introduction | AC-130A: 1968 AC-130H: 1969[1] AC-130J: FY2017 (est)[2] AC-130U: 1995[3] |
Retired | AC-130A: 1995 AC-130H: 2015[1] |
Status | In service |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Number built | 47 (in all variants)[citation needed] |
Unit cost | AC-130H: US$46.4 million (1992)[4] AC-130J: US$115 million (2016)[2] AC-130U: US$210 million (2016)[3] |
Developed from | Lockheed C-130 Hercules |
The Lockheed AC-130gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. Unlike other military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. Because its large profile and low operating altitudes (around 7,000 ft) make it an easy target, it usually flies close air support missions at night.[5]
The airframe is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support.[6] Developed during the Vietnam War as 'Project Gunship II', the AC-130 replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, or 'Gunship I'. The sole operator is the United States Air Force, which uses the AC-130U Spooky and AC-130W Stinger II[7] variants for close air support, air interdiction, and force protection, with the upgraded AC-130J Ghostrider entering service.[8] Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets and targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include defending air bases and other facilities. AC-130Us are based at Hurlburt Field, Florida, while AC-130Ws are based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico; gunships can be deployed worldwide.[9] The squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).[10]
The AC-130 has an unpressurized cabin, with the weaponry mounted to fire from the port side of the fuselage. 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. The AC-130H Spectre was armed with two 20 mmM61 Vulcan cannons, one L60 Bofors 40 mm cannon, and one 105 mmM102 howitzer; after 1994, the 20 mm cannons were removed. The upgraded AC-130U Spooky has a single 25 mmGAU-12 Equalizer cannon in place of the Spectre's two 20 mm cannons, an improved fire control system, and increased ammunition capacity. The new AC-130J was based on the MC-130J Commando II special operations tanker. The AC-130W Stinger II is a modified C-130H with upgrades including a precision strike package.[11]
- 1Development
- 2Design
- 3Operational history
Development[edit]
Origins[edit]
During the Vietnam War, the C-130 Hercules was selected to replace the Douglas AC-47 Spooky gunship (Project Gunship I) in order to improve mission endurance and increase capacity to carry munitions. 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.[12][13]
AC-130H Spectre near Hurlburt Field, Florida in 1988
In 1967, JC-130A 54-1626 was selected for conversion into the prototype AC-130A gunship (Project Gunship II). The modifications were done 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 infrared device in the forward part of the left wheel well, with miniguns and rotary cannons fixed facing down and aft along the left side. The analogfire control computer prototype was handcrafted by RAF Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton at the USAF Avionics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB. Flight testing of the prototype was performed primarily at Eglin Air Force Base, followed by further testing and modifications. By September 1967, the aircraft was certified ready for combat testing and was flown to Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam for a 90-day test program.[12] The AC-130 was later supplemented by the AC-119 Shadow (Project Gunship III), which later proved to be underpowered.
Seven more warplanes were converted to the 'Plain Jane' configuration like the AC-130 prototype in 1968,[14] and one aircraft received the 'Surprise Package' refit in 1969.[15] The Surprise Package upgrade included the latest 20 mm rotary autocannons and 40 mm Bofors cannon but no 7.62 mm close support armament. The Surprise Package configuration served as a test bed for the avionic systems and armament for the AC-130E. In 1970, ten more AC-130As were acquired under the 'Pave Pronto' project.[16] In the summer of 1971, Surprise Package AC-130s were converted to the Pave Pronto configuration and assumed the new nickname of 'Thor'. Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the 'PAVE Spectre' project followed.[17][18] Regardless of their project names the aircraft were more commonly referred to by the squadron's call sign 'Spectre'.
Recent and planned upgrades[edit]
AC-130U armed with two 30 mm Bushmasters, 2007
In 2007, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) initiated a program to upgrade the armament of AC-130s. 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.[19] In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters. These were referred to as AC-130U Plus 4 or AC-130U+4. AFSOC, however, 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 and 25 mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty.[20] 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'. There were also schedule considerations that drove the decision, he said.[21]
There were also plans 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 Strikeglide bomb.[22]
In 2010, the Air Force awarded L-3 Communications a $61 million contract to add precision strike packages to eight MC-130W Combat Spear special-mission aircraft[23] to give them a gunship-like attack capability; such-equipped MC-130Ws are known as Dragon Spears. Air Force Special Operations Command is arming these aircraft to relieve the high operational demands on AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter service.[24] The MC-130W Dragon Spear was renamed AC-130W Stinger II in 2011.[25] The precision strike packages consist of a 30 mm gun and several precision guided munitions (PGMs). Rails are mounted on the out-board pylon of the wing for four Hellfire missiles, SDBs, or SDB IIs under each. 10 Common Launch Tubes (CLTs) are mounted on the rear ramp to fire Griffin A missiles; additional missiles are stored in the aircraft that can be reloaded in flight.[26] 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.[27]
The Air Force launched an initiative in 2011 to acquire 16 new gunships based on new-built MC-130J Combat Shadow II special operations tankers outfitted with a 'precision strike package' to give them an attack capability, requesting $1.6 billion from Fiscal Years 2011 through 2015. This would increase the size of the gunship fleet to 33 aircraft, a net increase of eight after the planned retirement of eight aging AC-130Hs. 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.[28] The decision to retain the C-130 came after funding for 16 C-27Js was removed from the fiscal 2010 budget.[29]
The AC-130J will follow the path of the Dragon Spear program.[30] On 9 January 2013, the Air Force began converting the first MC-130J Combat Shadow II into an AC-130J Ghostrider[31] and delivered it to AFSOC on 29 July 2015.[32] The first AC-130J gunships achieved initial operational capability (IOC) on 30 September 2017.[33] 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.[34]
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. AFSOC is interested in adding a directed-energy weapon to the AC-130J by 2020,[35] similar to the previous Advanced Tactical Laser program. 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 anti-aircraft missiles, and offensively engage communications towers, boats, cars, and aircraft.[36][37][38] However, laser armament may only be installed on a few aircraft rather than the entire AC-130J fleet;[39] the laser will be mounted on the side in place of the 30 mm cannon.[40] 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.[41] Called the Tactical Off-board Sensor (TOBS), the drones would be expendable and fly along a pre-programmed orbit to verify targets the aircraft can't see itself because of bad weather or standing off from air defenses.[38][39] AFSOC will initially utilize 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.[27]
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).[42] In June 2016, Dynetics was awarded a contract by SOCOM to integrate its tactical munition onto the AC-130. 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 pre-selected height; despite being smaller, being unpowered allows more volume 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. Guidance is provided by a GPS receiver with anti-spoofing software and four Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS) apertures adapted from the WGU-59/B APKWS for terminal guidance.[43][44][45] Approval for fielding occurred in early 2017.[46] Dynetics was awarded a contract to deliver an initial batch of 70 SGMs in June 2017, with plans to buy up to 1,000.[47] The SGM can travel 20 mi (32 km).[48]
Future[edit]
By 2018, AC-130 gunships will have been providing close air support for special operators for 50 years. 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 non-permissive environments due to their high signatures and low airspeeds. 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.[49]
Design[edit]
Underside of an AC-130U Spooky
Overview[edit]
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. 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. The sensor suite consists of a television sensor, infrared sensor, and radar. 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 radar for long-range target detection and identification. The gunship's navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and a Global Positioning System. The AC-130U employs technologies developed in the 1990s which allow it to attack two targets simultaneously. It has twice the munitions capacity of the AC-130H.[6] Although the AC-130U conducts some operations in daylight, most of its combat missions are conducted at night.[50] The AC-130H's unit cost is US$132.4 million, and the AC-130U's cost is US$190 million (fiscal 2001 dollars).[10]
Upgrades[edit]
AC-130U sensor suite
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-arrayantenna 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 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. It could also detect hand-held transmitter signals of air controllers on the ground to identify and locate targets.
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. 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. The FMU-151 has an improved arming delay with multi-sensitive range.[51]
Operational history[edit]
Vietnam War[edit]
An AC-130 in Southern Laos circa 1970
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. In June 1968, AC-130s were deployed to Tan Son Nhut AB near Saigon for support against the Tet Offensive. By 30 October 1968, enough AC-130 Gunship IIs arrived to form a squadron, the 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. It was at this time that the C-130A gunship was designated the AC-130A.
On 18 August 1968, an AC-130 gunship flying an armed reconnaissance mission in Vietnam's III Corps was diverted to support the Katum Special Forces Camp. The ground commander quickly assessed the accurate fire and capabilities of this weapon system and called for fire on his own perimeter when the Viet Cong attempted to bridge the wire on the west side of his position.
By December 1968, most AC-130s flew under F-4 Phantom II escort (to protect the gunship against heavy and concentrated AAA fire) from the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron, normally three Phantoms per Gunship. On 24 May 1969, the first Spectre gunship was lost to enemy fire.[52]
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 digitalfire control computer. The remaining AC-130s were refitted with upgraded similar equipment in the summer of 1970, and then redeployed to Ubon RTAFB. On 25 October 1971, the first 'Cadillac' gunship, the AC-130E arrived in Vietnam. On 17 February 1972, the first 105 mm cannon arrived for service with Spectre and was installed on Gunship 570. It was used from mid-February until the aircraft received battle damage to its right flap. The cannon was switched to Gunship 571 and was used until 30 March when the aircraft was shot down.
Date | Gunship model | Unit | Cause of loss / remarks |
---|---|---|---|
24 May 1969 | AC-130A | 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) | Downed by 37 mm anti-aircraft artillery (AA) at 6,500 feet while on reconnaissance for enemy trucks.[53] |
22 April 1970 | AC-130A | 16th SOS | Downed while truck hunting by 37 mm AA[54] |
28 March 1972 | AC-130A | 16th SOS | Downed while truck hunting along the Ho Chi Minh Trail by a SA-2surface-to-air missile (SAM). Nose art named 'Prometheus'.[55] |
30 March 1972 | AC-130E | 16th SOS | Downed while truck hunting by 57 mm AA at 7,500 feet. The 'E' model was armed with a 105 mm howitzer. This search and rescue (SAR) mission was 'overshadowed by the Bat-21 rescue mission.'[56] |
18 June 1972 | AC-130A | 16th SOS | Downed by a SA-7 shoulder fired SAM which struck the #3 engine and blew off the wing.[57] |
21-22 December 1972 | AC-130A | 16th SOS | Downed while truck hunting along the Ho Chi Minh trail at 7,800 feet by 37 mm AA.[58] |
On 28 January 1973, the Vietnam peace accord went into effect, marking the end of Spectre operations in Vietnam. Spectre was still needed and active in the region, supporting operations in Laos and Cambodia. On 22 February 1973, American offensive operations in Laos ended and the gunships became totally committed to operations in the Cambodian conflict.
On 12 April 1975, the Khmer Rouge were threatening the capital of Phnom Penh and AC-130s were called on to help in Operation Eagle Pull, the final evacuation of American and allied officials from Phnom Penh before it was conquered by the communists. The AC-130 was also over Saigon on 30 April 1975 to protect the final evacuation in Operation Frequent Wind. Spectres were also called in when the SS Mayaguez was seized, on the open sea, by Khmer Rouge soldiers and sailors on 15 May 1975.
Six AC-130s and 52 air crew members were lost during the war.[52] AC-130s destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and participated in many crucial close air support missions in Vietnam.
Cold War and later action[edit]
AC-130A performs a left-hand pylon turn
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. With the transition to the AC-130A, the 919 TAG was then redesignated as the 919th Special Operations Group (919 SOG).
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 the contiguous United States to attack targets then return to home base without intermediate stops.
AC-130s from both the 4th and 16th Special Operations Squadrons have been deployed in nearly every conflict the United States has been involved in, officially and unofficially, since the end of the Vietnam War.
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. 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 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 non-stop, refueling four times in-flight.[59][60] Refueling support for the Guam deployment was provided by KC-135 crews from the 305th Air Refueling Wing from Grissom AFB, Indiana.
In November 1979, four AC-130H gunships flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field to Anderson AFB, Guam, because of the hostage situation at the Embassy in Iran. At Guam, AC-130H crews developed communications-out/lights-out refueling procedures for later employment by trial-and-error. 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. One early option considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran. Later gunship flights exceeded the 1979 Hurlburt-to-Guam flight. Upon return in March 1980, the four planes soon found themselves in Egypt to support the ill-fated hostage rescue attempt.
Smoke visible from rotary cannon during twilight operations in 1988
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 AC-130 aircrew earned the Lieutenant General William H. Tunner Award for the mission.
The AC-130Hs of the 16th Special Operations Squadron unit maintained an ongoing rotation to Howard AB, Panama, monitoring activities in El Salvador and other Central American points of interest, with rules of engagement eventually permitting attacks on FMLN targets. This commitment of Maintainers and crews started in 1983 and lasted until 1990.[61] The AC-130 is considered to have hastened the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s. Crews flew undercover missions from Honduras and attacked guerrilla camps and concentrations.[citation needed]
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. Aircrews earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the Tunner Award.
Gulf War and the 1990s[edit]
USAF AC-130 in combat operation
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 primary interdiction targets were early warning/ground control intercept (EW/GCI) sites along the southern border of Iraq. At its standard altitude of 12,000 feet, the aircraft had a proven ability to engage moving ground targets.[62] The first gunship to enter the Battle of Khafji helped stop a southbound Iraqi armored column on 29 January 1991. One day later, three more gunships provided further aid to Marines 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 missiles (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 lone Iraqi with a Strela-2MANPADS shot Spirit 03 down, and all 14 crew members died.[63]
The military has used AC-130 gunships during the humanitarian operations in Somalia (Operation Restore Hope and Operation United Shield) in 1992–93, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. 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.
AC-130s took part in the NATO missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the 1990s.
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, Florida to Taegu Air Base (Daegu), South Korea, being refueled seven times in the air by KC-135 tankers. The two 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 compel Iraq to allow UNSCOM weapons inspections.
War on Terror[edit]
An AC-130U releasing flares
The U.S. has used gunships with deployments to the War in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan) (2001–2014), and Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) (2003–11). AC-130 strikes were directed by special forces on known Taliban locations during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. U.S. Special Operations Forces are using the AC-130 to support its operations. 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. On 26 November 2001, Spectres were called in to put down a rebellion at the prison fort of Qala-I-Janghi. The 16 SOS flew missions over Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Kandahar, Shkin, Asadabad, Bagram, Baghran, Tora Bora, and virtually every other part of Afghanistan. The Spectre participated in countless operations within Afghanistan, performing on-call close air support and armed reconnaissance. In March 2002, three AC-130 Spectres provided 39 crucial combat missions in support of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. During the intense fighting, the planes fired more than 1,300 40 mm and 1,200 105 mm rounds.
Close air support was the main mission of the AC-130 in Iraq. Los suenos magicos de bartolo pdf para. Night after night, at least one AC-130 was in the air to fulfill one or more air support requests (ASRs). 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 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. AC-130s were also used for intelligence gathering with their sophisticated long-range video, infrared and radar sensors. In 2007, US Special Operations forces also used the AC-130 in attacks on suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Somalia.[64][65]
There were eight AC-130H and seventeen AC-130U aircraft in active-duty service as of July 2010.[10] In March 2011, the U.S. Air Force deployed two AC-130U gunships to take part in Operation Odyssey Dawn, the U.S. military intervention in Libya,[66] which eventually came under NATO as Operation Unified Protector.[67]
AC-130 Whiskey on YouTube from Deadliest Tech |
By September 2013, 14 MC-130W Dragon Spear aircraft have been converted to AC-130W Stinger II gunships. 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. Modifications began with crews cutting holes in the plane to make room for weapons, and adding kits and bomb bases for laser-guided munitions. Crews added a 105 mm cannon, 20-inch infrared and electro-optical sensors, and the ability to carry 250-pound bombs on the wings.[68]
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. The attacks were part of an intensification of the U.S.-led Military intervention against ISIL called Operation Tidal Wave II (named after the original Operation Tidal Wave during World War II, a failed attempt to raid German oil fields that resulted in heavy aircraft and aircrew loss) in an attempt to cut off oil smuggling as a source of funding for the group.[69]
On 3 October 2015, an AC-130 mistakenly attacked the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. In five separate runs, the gunship struck the hospital that was erroneously identified as the source of attacks on coalition members. Subsequent inquiries led to punishment of 16 military personnel and cited 'human error' as the root cause.[70][71][72][73][74]
On 30 September 2017, the Air Force declared the AC-130J Ghostrider had achieved initial operational capability (IOC), with six gunships having been delivered; the aircraft is planned to reach full operational capability by 2023 with a total of 37 gunships delivered. 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).[33]
Variants[edit]
- AC-130A Spectre (Project Gunship II, Surprise Package, Pave Pronto)
- Conversions of C-130As; 19 completed; transferred to Air Force Reserve in 1975, retired in 1995.[16][75]
- AC-130E Spectre (Pave Spectre, Pave Aegis)
- Conversions of C-130Es; 11 completed; 10 upgraded to AC-130H configuration.[76]
- AC-130H Spectre
- Upgraded AC-130E aircraft; 8 completed; last aircraft retired in 2015.[1]
- AC-130U Spooky
- Operational aircraft (active duty USAF); 17 in service.[77]
- AC-130W Stinger II (formerly MC-130W Dragon Spear)
- Conversions of 14 MC-130Ws (active duty USAF).[78]
- AC-130J Ghostrider[31]
- Based on MC-130J; 32 aircraft to be procured to replace AC-130H.[79]
Operators[edit]
AC-130U over Hurlburt Field
- United States
- United States Air Force[80][81][82]
- Detachment 2, 14th Air Commando Wing – Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam 1967–1968
- 8th Tactical Fighter Wing – Ubon/Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand 1968–1975
- 1st Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 1975–1993, 2006–
- 4th Special Operations Squadron 2006–
- 8th Special Operations Squadron 1975
- 16th Special Operations Squadron 1975–1993, 2006–2007
- 18th Flight Test Squadron 1991–1993, 2006–2017
- 19th Special Operations Squadron 2006–2017
- 73d Special Operations Squadron 2018-
- 16th Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 1993–2006
- 4th Special Operations Squadron 1995–2006
- 19th Special Operations Squadron 1996–2006
- 27th Special Operations Wing – Cannon AFB, New Mexico 2007–
- 73d Special Operations Squadron 2007-2015
- 46th Test Wing – Eglin AFB, Florida 2014–
- 412th Test Wing – Edwards AFB, California 1990–1995
- 492d Special Operations Wing – Hurlburt Field, Florida 2017-
- 919th Special Operations Wing – Duke Field, Florida 1975–1995
Aircraft on display[edit]
Nose art on AC-130A AF Serial No. 53-3129 at the USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida
One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to Vietnam was AF serial no. 53-3129, named First Lady in November 1970. This aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. 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. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck and barely missed striking two crew members. The pilot was able to crash land the aircraft safely.[83] 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. 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 Command flying the AC-130A. 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.[84][85]
A second aircraft, AF serial no. 56-0509, named the Ultimate End, was originally accepted as an C-130A by the Air Force on 28 February 1957,[citation needed] and modified to the AC-130A configuration on 27 July 1970. The aircraft participated in the Vietnam War and the rescue of the SS 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 Wing at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No.3 / Duke Field on 17 June 1975, where it continued in service until retired in the fall 1994 and transferred to Air Force Special Operations Command's Heritage Air Park at Hurlburt Field, Florida. While assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron, 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 Field to Hurlburt Field 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.[86]
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 Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. 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. 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 highway (Highway 80) between Kuwait City and Basra, 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 Wing and retired to the museum in October 1995.[87][88]
Another 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 Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.[12][89] This aircraft served in Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1972, then served in JC-130A test configuration. 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.
AC-130A serial no. 54-1623, c/n 3010, named 'Ghost Rider' served in Southeast Asia and later conflicts until being retired in 1997 to Dobbins AFB, Georgia. Ghost Rider eventually was transferred and displayed at the Aviation Wing Museum at Marietta, Georgia.
Specifications[edit]
AC-130U Spooky
Data from USAF Fact Sheet[10]
General characteristics
- Crew: 13
- Officers: 5 (pilot, copilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer)
- Enlisted: 8 (flight engineer, TV operator, infrared detection set operator, loadmaster, four aerial gunners)
- Length: 97 ft 9 in (29.79 m)
- Wingspan: 132 ft 7 in (40.41 m)
- Height: 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
- Wing area: 1,745.5 sq ft (162.16 m2)
- Gross weight: 122,400 lb (55,520 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 155,000 lb (70,307 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Allison T56-A-15turboprop engines, 4,910 shp (3,660 kW) each (equivalent)
- Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed reversible propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 260 kn (299 mph; 482 km/h)
- Range: 2,200 nmi (2,532 mi; 4,074 km)
- Service ceiling: 39,000 ft (12,000 m)
Armament
- AC-130A Project Gunship II
- 4 × 7.62 mmGAU-2/A miniguns
- 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in)M61 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon
- 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
- 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
- AC-130H Spectre[90]
(Prior to c. 2000)
- 2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
(Latest armament)
- 1× General Dynamics25 mm (0.984 in)GAU-12/U Equalizer 5-barreled rotary cannon
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
- AC-130U Spooky II
- 1× General Dynamics25 mm (0.984 in)GAU-12/U Equalizer 5-barreled rotary cannon
- 1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
- 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
- AC-130W Stinger II / AC-130J Ghostrider[31]
- 1× 30 mm ATKGAU-23/A autocannon[91]
- 1× 105 mm M102 howitzer (AC-130J Ghostrider only as of 2017)[92][93][94]
- 'Gunslinger' weapons system with launch tube for AGM-176 Griffin missiles and/or GBU-44/B Viper Strike munitions (10 round magazines)[7]
- Wing mounted, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and/or GBU-53/B SDB IIs[7] (4 per hardpoint on BRU-61/A rack)[95][96]
Avionics
- AC-130H Spectre
- Mission systems:
- Northrop Grumman AN/APN-241 multimode navigation radar – derived version of AN/APG-66 radar (formerly used on F-16A Fighting Falcon) consisting of precised navigation and air-to-ground modes including Monopulse Ground Mapping (MGM), Doppler Beam Sharpening (DBS), high resolution synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), Terrain Avoidance/Terrain Following (TA/TF), skin paint (for Station KEeping; SKE), maritime detection, weather/turbulence detection, wind shear alert, and ballistic wind measurement (for precision airdrop)[97]
- Motorola (now General Dynamics) AN/APQ-150 Beacon Tracking Radar (BTR) – side-looking radar designed to search, acquire, and track ground beacon signal (X-band transponder) located at a friendly position from 10 nautical miles, beacon coordinate is used as a reference point for ground troop to give the gunship a bearing and range from the beacon to the desired target (mounted between 40 mm cannon and 105 mm howitzer)[98][99]
- Cubic Corporation AN/ARS-6 Personnel Locator System (PLS) – radio navigation set[99]
- Raytheon AN/AAQ-26 Infrared Detecting Set (IDS) – long-wave infrared (LWIR) band Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) (mounted forward of the nose landing gear door)[99][100]
- General Electric (now Lockheed Martin) AN/ASQ-145 Low Light Level Television (LLLTV) – EO fire control system consists of television camera (CCD-TV), AN/AVQ-19 Laser Target Designator/Ranger (LTD/R – 1064 nm laser emitter with permanently preset PRF code) with eyesafe mode (1570 nm laser emitter), AN/AAT-3 Ambient Temperature Illuminator (ATI – wide beam 860 nm laser illuminator), and Infrared Zoom Laser Illuminator Designator (IZLID – airborne version of 860 nm narrow beam laser pointer/marker and illuminator AN/PEQ-18) (mounted in the crew entrance door)[98][99]
- Navigation systems:
- Teledyne Ryan (now Northrop Grumman) AN/APN-218 radar – doppler navigation radar[99]
- Previously installed systems:
- AN/APN-59 radar – search and weather radar[99]
- AC-130U Spooky II
- Mission systems:
- RaytheonAN/APQ-180 multimode attack radar – enhanced version of AN/APG-70 radar (used on F-15E Strike Eagle) incorporating several enhanced air-to-ground modes such as fixed target track, ground moving target indication and track, projectile impact point position, beacon track, and a weather detection[99][101][102]
- RaytheonAN/AAQ-26 IDS – LWIR FLIR (mounted on port side of the nose landing gear door)[99][100]
- Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-39 Gunship Multispectral Sensor System (GMS2) – EO/IR fire control system consists of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) FLIR, two Image-Intensified Television (I2TV) cameras (CCD-TV), laser target designator/rangefinder with eyesafe mode (1064 and 1570 nm dual mode laser emitter), and near-infrared (NIR) laser pointer/marker (860 nm laser emitter) (mounted under the nose of port landing gear sponson)[103]
- Previously installed systems:
- GEC-Marconi All Light Level Television (ALLTV) – EO fire control systems consists of CCD-TV, Laser Target Designator/Range Finder (LTD/RF – 1064 nm laser emitter with in-flight programmable PRF code) with eyesafe mode (1570 nm laser emitter), and Laser Illuminator Assembly (LIA – 860 nm laser emitter)[99]
- Countermeasures:
- Raytheon AN/ALR-69 – digital Radar warning receiver (RWR)[101][104]
- L-3 Communications AN/AAR-44 – UV-based Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS)[105]
- ITT Exelis AN/ALQ-172 – Digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jammer-based Electronic countermeasure (ECM) incorporating integrated Electronic Warfare (EW) self-protection function of detection, processing, warning, prioritization, jamming, and threat display[101][106]
- BAE Systems AN/ALQ-196 Low-Band Jammer (LBJ) – low frequency DRFM jammer-based ECM[107]
- Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis – laser-based Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) (mounted on the port and starboard rear fuselage)[108]
- BAE SystemsAN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispensing System (CMDS) – chaff/flare dispenser[109]
Gunners loading 40 mm cannon (background) and 105 mm cannon (foreground)
AC-130H Spectre over Santa Rosa Island, Northwest Florida coast.
Notable appearances in media[edit]
See also[edit]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists
References[edit]
- ^ abcAir Commandos retire final AC-130H Spectre gunship – Cannon.AF.mil, 26 May 2015
- ^ ab'AC-130J Ghostrider Fact Sheet'. U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ^ ab'AC-130U Fact Sheet'. U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ^'AC-130H Spectre - Military Aircraft'. FAS Military Analysis Network. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ^Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (5 October 2015). 'Afghan forces requested airstrike on hospital'. The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ abAC-130U Gunship page. Boeing.
- ^ abc'MC-130W Dragon Spear'. Air Force Special Operations. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^Pawlyk, Oriana (8 March 2019). 'Air Force gets first upgraded 'Ghostrider' gunship'. Military.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^Fact sheet, AF, archived from the original on 16 March 2013
- ^ abcd'AC-130H/U Gunship' (fact sheet). Air Force. 30 July 2010. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. (article was originally based on this.)
- ^'AC-130W Stinger II'. USAF, January 2016.
- ^ abcAC-130A (fact sheet), National Museum of the United States Air Force, archived from the original on 11 October 2014
- ^Douglas AC-47D (fact sheet), National Museum of the United States Air Force, archived from the original on 11 October 2014
- ^Lockheed AC-130A 'Plain Jane', National Museum of the United States Air Force, archived from the original on 5 July 2009, retrieved 5 April 2009
- ^Lockheed AC-130A 'Surprise Package'Archived 14 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Accessed on 5 April 2009.
- ^ abLockheed AC-130A 'PAVE Pronto'Archived 5 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Accessed on 5 April 2009.
- ^Lockheed AC-130E 'PAVE Spectre'Archived 14 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Accessed on 5 April 2009.
- ^Lockheed AC-130E 'PAVE Aegis'Archived 14 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Accessed on 5 April 2009.
- ^Dunnigan, James (1 October 2006). '30 mm Everywhere'. strategypage.com.
- ^'A Spookier Spooky, 30 mm at a Time? Nope'. Defense Industry Daily. 1 March 2012.
- ^Michael Sirak with Marc Schanz, 'Spooky Gun Swap Canceled'. Air Force Magazine, October 2008, Volume 91, Number 10, p. 24.
- ^'Future AC-130 Gunship Integrated Weapons Systems'(PDF). US DoD. March 2006. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 February 2007.
- ^DoD 'Contracts'Archived 5 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine. U.S. Department of Defense, 21 September 2010.
- ^Sirak, Micael. 'The SOF Makeover'Air Force Magazine, Vol. 93, No. 6 June 2010.
- ^Wallace, Ashley. 'News: Stinger II'. Air International, Vol. 82 No. 5, May 2012, p. 19. ISSN0306-5634.
- ^AFSOC AC-130 Gunships – Defensemedianetwork.com, 1 June 2015
- ^ abSpecial Operations Gunships to Be Equipped With Improved Sensors[permanent dead link] – Nationaldefensemagazine.org, May 2016
- ^Sirak, Micael (April 2010). 'Air Force World'. Air Force Magazine. 93 (4).
- ^'Schwartz: AFSOC will likely convert more C-130s into 'gunship-lites''. Inside the Air Force. 22 May 2009.
- ^Duncan, Capt. Kristen D. 'Benchmark 'Dragon Spear' program earns William J. Perry Award'Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
- ^ abc'The most fearsome weapon is evolving'. USAF. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013.
- ^'US Air Force Special Operations Command Takes Delivery of First AC-130J Ghostrider', Deagel.com, Air Force News Service, 31 July 2015
- ^ abThe Air Force’s newest, deadliest gunship just hit a major milestone - Militarytimes.com, 10 October 2017
- ^AC-130J poised to hit initial operational capability target - Flightglobal.com, 21 September 2017
- ^Mike Hoffman, 'AFSOC Wants to Research Adding Laser Weapons to AC-130', Defensetech.org, 29 January 2015.
- ^James Drew, 'AFSOC developing tactics for '2020' AC-130 gunship laser weapon', FlightGlobal, 17 September 2015
- ^Brendan McGarry, 'Air Force Wants a Laser Weapon on AC-130J Gunship', Defensetech.org, 16 September 2015
- ^ abLara Seligman, 'AFSOC Leveraging Lessons from Navy for AC-130J Laser', Defensenews.com, 3 December 2015
- ^ abSydney J. Freedberg, Jr., 'AC-130 To Get Laser Guns & Air-Launched Drones: Heithold', Breakingdefense.com, 3 December 2015
- ^AFSOC favours side-mounted laser for gunship – Flightglobal.com, 1 July 2016
- ^Brian Everstine, 'AFSOC envisions its gunship armed with lasers, other high-tech weapons', Air Force Times, 19 March 2015
- ^James Drew, 'US special forces seek tube-launched glide bombs', FlightGlobal, 23 November 2015
- ^Dynetics unveils new glide bomb with 16kg warhead – Flightglobal.com, 14 June 2016
- ^Dynetics Looks to Fit Niche With Small Glide Munition – Defensenews.com, 22 August 2016
- ^Dynetics Awarded USSOCOM Small Glide Munition Contract – Airforcemag.com, 14 June 2016
- ^Dynetics awarded $470 million for increased production of glide bomb. Flight International. 14 June 2018.
- ^US special operators add new munition to air-launched arsenal – Flightglobal.com, 29 June 2017
- ^Commandos Buying Thousands of Small Missiles That Pack A Bigger Punch Than Hellfires. Breaking Defense. 11 May 2018.
- ^Sandra I. Erwin, 'Air Force Commandos Will Have Fewer Aircraft, More Firepower'Archived 6 February 2015 at Archive.todayNational Defense Magazine, 15 May 2013
- ^Naylor, Sean. Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, pp. 425. Berkley Books, 2005. ISBN0-425-19609-7. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- ^'PGU-38/U 25mm Ammunition', August 1993, Alliant Techsystems, Public Release, Case No. 93-S3040, E10630 8/93.
- ^ abHobson, Chris (2001), Vietnam Air Losses: United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia, 1961–1973, Hinckley, England, United Kingdom: Midland, p. 268, ISBN1-85780-115-6
- ^Hobson p. 182.
- ^Hobson p. 202.
- ^Hobson p. 219.
- ^Hobson p. 220.
- ^Hobson pp. 228, 229.
- ^Hobson p. 244.
- ^Lockheed records.
- ^Lawrence, Pilot Lt Col Jim (June 1995), '??', Night Flyer(magazine)
|format=
requires|url=
(help) (article), AFSOC - ^Cooper, Tom. 'El Salvador, 1980–1992'. ACIG. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^'Why the AC-130 Fears Daylight'. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^'Spirit 03 and the Battle for Khafji', Special operations (memorial), archived from the original on 25 October 2008
- ^'Pentagon official: US attacks al Qaeda suspects in Somalia'. CNN. 8 January 2007.[dead link]
- ^'US plane 'bombed Somalia targets''. Africa News. BBC.
- ^McGarry, Brendan (28 March 2011), Coalition Isn't Coordinating Strikes With Rebels, US Says, Bloomberg
- ^Schmitt, Eric (29 March 2011). 'US Gives Its Air Power Expansive Role in Libya'. The New York Times. p. A13. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^'AFSOC's new weapon: Portable unmanned aircraft bases', The Military Times, 17 September 2013
- ^US A-10 Attack Planes Hit ISIS Oil Convoy to Crimp Terror Funding – Military.com, 16 November 2015
- ^'Congressman questions if Army Special Forces denied rescue force, fire support'. The Washington post. 7 January 2016.
- ^'CENTCOM: AC-130 'absolutely did fire' in Marjah battle against Taliban'. Stars and Stripes. 8 January 2016.
- ^'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'. The New York Times. 8 May 2016.
- ^https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/world/asia/afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital-strike.html
- ^'AC-130A Spectre' GlobalSecurity.org
- ^Lockheed AC-130H fact sheetArchived 13 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. National Museum of the United States Air Force
- ^'AC-130U'. Air Force. January 2016.
- ^John Pike. 'MC-130W Combat Spear / AC-130W Stinger II'. Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^King Jr., Samuel (7 February 2014). 'New AC-130J completes first test flight'. af.mil. Team Eglin Public Affairs. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^'Spec Ops Profile: 1st Special Operations Wing'. Military.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^'Units'. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^'New AC-130J completes first test flight'. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^Noecker, Jeff. Callsign: Spectre[specify]
- ^'List of AC-130 Gunships.'Gunships. Retrieved 6 June 2011.[dead link]
- ^'First Lady retires, era ends.'Gunships. Retrieved 6 June 2011.[dead link]
- ^AC-130A SpectreArchived 23 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine. USAF Hurlburt Field
- ^'Lockheed AC-130A Spectre'. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^'AC-130A Spectre image'. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013.
- ^'AC-130A image'. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
- ^AC-130H/U Gunship (fact sheet), US: Air Force, December 2015 (20 mm guns were removed).
- ^'ATK's GAU-23 30mm Automatic Cannon Receives Type Classification for Use on U.S. Air Force AC-130W Gunships'. PR NewsWire. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ^'Ghostrider's Big Gun: AC-130J Gets 105 ASAP; Laser Later'. Breaking Defense. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^Tyler Rogoway. 'The AC-130J Ghostrider Will Get A Big Ass Gun Afterall'. Foxtrot Alpha. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/9940/the-usaf-finally-gives-its-ac-130w-gunship-the-big-gun-it-desperately-needs
- ^'BRU-61/A Bomb Rack'. Armed Forces International. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
- ^'Daytime Gunships Galore', Strategy page, 29 November 2012
- ^'Aircraft Procurement, vol 2 part 2, FY05'(PDF). USAF. Archived from the original(PDF) on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- ^ abBoyne, Walter J. Encyclopedia of Modern U.S. Military Weapons, pp. 10–12. Barkley Books, 1995. ISBN0-425-16437-3. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ abcdefghiU.S. Air Force Career Field Education and Training Plan: Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems, pp. 257–291. U.S. Air Force, 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- ^ ab'AN/AAQ-26 Infrared Detecting Set'. Raytheon. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ abcPushies, Fred J. United States Air Force Special Ops, pp. 42–26. Zenith Press, 2007. ISBN0-760-32947-8. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^'AN/APQ-180 Radar'. Raytheon. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^'AN/AAQ-39'. Lockheed Martin. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^'AN/ALR-69A(V) Radar Warning Receiver'. Raytheon. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^'AN/AAR-44 – Infrared Warning Receiver'. American Special Ops. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^'ALQ-172 (EW Integrated Self Protection System)'. ITT Exelis. Retrieved 12 June 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^'BAe Systems Jammer for Special Hercs'. Aero News Network. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^Parsch, Andreas. 'AN/AAQ – Airborne Infrared Multipurpose/Special Equipment'. Designation systems. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^Pike, John. 'AC-130 Project Gunship II'. Global security. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
Further reading[edit]
- Ballard, Jack S. (1982). Development and Employment of Fixed-Wing Gunships 1962–1972. Office of Air Force History, US Air Force. p. 326. ISBN1-4289-9364-9. Retrieved 6 April 2009. (AC-130 refs loaded throughout book)
- Bonds, Ray; Miller, David (2002). The Illustrated Directory of Special Forces. Zenith Imprint. pp. 426ff, esp. 480. ISBN0-7603-1419-5. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- Couvillon, Michael (2011). Grenada Grinder. Marietta, GA: Deeds Publishing. ISBN978-0-9826180-8-0.
- Head, William P. (2007). Shadow and Stinger. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 28ff, esp. 340. ISBN1-58544-577-0. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- Momyer, William W., General (U.S. Air Force, Retired) (1983). Air Power in Three Wars. US Government Printing Office. pp. 211ff, esp. 358. ISBN1-4289-8210-8. Retrieved 6 April 2009..
- Mrozek, Donald J. (2002). Air Power and the Ground War in Vietnam. The Minerva Group. pp. 128ff, esp. 216. ISBN0-89875-981-1. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- Pirnie, Bruce (2005). Beyond Close Air Support: Forging a New Air-Ground Partnership. Rand Corp. pp. 58ff, esp. 188. ISBN0-8330-3741-2. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- Veronico, Nick (2004). 21st Century U.S. Air Power. Zenith Imprint. pp. 75ff, esp. 176. ISBN0-7603-2014-4. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
- 'Contemporary Historical Evaluation of Combat Operations: Fixed Wing Gunships in Southeast Asia', Project CHECO, ScribD, retrieved 22 November 2012.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to AC-130 Spectre. |
- 'Gunship History', Spectre Association.
- AC-130, Global Security.
- 'Powerful Gunships Prowl Iraq, and Limits Show' on NPR from All Things Considered.
- U.S. Air Force (2002). AC-130 Attack video with explicit kills (thermal imagery from targeting camera) (160 MB). Internet Archive. Event occurs at 9 minutes. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- 'Gunship Worries', Air Force magazine, July 2009.
- (1977) T.O. 1C-130(A)A-1 Flight Manual USAF Series AC-130A Airplane (Part 1)[permanent dead link], (Part 2)[permanent dead link]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lockheed_AC-130&oldid=904584221'
Puff the Magic Dragonunknown
A song made popular by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963.
The song is believed by many to refer to smoking marijuana, yet according to its author, Leonard 'Lenny' Lipton, it's a simple sentimental song about the loss of childhood and nothing more.
In 1958 Lenny Lipton graduated from high school and headed off to college at Cornell in Ithaca. He came to the realization that he was not a little kid anymore and never would be; that made him sad.
One night in 1959 Lenny headed for the Cornell library. He had just turned nineteen. He found a book of poems by Ogden Nash, one of which discussed a Really-o Truly-o Dragon. After he was finished he left the library and went to visit his friend Lenny Edelstein.
Lenny Lipton was thinking again about the loss of his carefree childhood days, and he was inspired by the poems he had been reading earlier in the evening. So he decided to write a poem of his own. He wrote for about three minutes and felt somewhat soothed. He left the poem in Peter's typewriter, and then left.
Peter returned and saw the sheet of paper in the typewriter. He was a singer/performer/concert organizer, he liked what he saw and put some music to it, and later began to use it in some of his performances.
Peter later joined a group and used the song. It became more and more popular, and eventually the group recorded it. Within a few years it had become a top ten pop song. Peter went back and tracked down Lenny Lipton, who was by that time a counselor at a summer camp. Peter added Lenny Lipton's name as a co-writer, and Lipton has done well with the royalties he has received ever since.
Peter was Peter Yarrow, and his group was Peter, Paul and Mary. The song reached number 2 on the charts early in 1963.
The song is believed by many to refer to smoking marijuana, yet according to its author, Leonard 'Lenny' Lipton, it's a simple sentimental song about the loss of childhood and nothing more.
In 1958 Lenny Lipton graduated from high school and headed off to college at Cornell in Ithaca. He came to the realization that he was not a little kid anymore and never would be; that made him sad.
One night in 1959 Lenny headed for the Cornell library. He had just turned nineteen. He found a book of poems by Ogden Nash, one of which discussed a Really-o Truly-o Dragon. After he was finished he left the library and went to visit his friend Lenny Edelstein.
Lenny Lipton was thinking again about the loss of his carefree childhood days, and he was inspired by the poems he had been reading earlier in the evening. So he decided to write a poem of his own. He wrote for about three minutes and felt somewhat soothed. He left the poem in Peter's typewriter, and then left.
Peter returned and saw the sheet of paper in the typewriter. He was a singer/performer/concert organizer, he liked what he saw and put some music to it, and later began to use it in some of his performances.
Peter later joined a group and used the song. It became more and more popular, and eventually the group recorded it. Within a few years it had become a top ten pop song. Peter went back and tracked down Lenny Lipton, who was by that time a counselor at a summer camp. Peter added Lenny Lipton's name as a co-writer, and Lipton has done well with the royalties he has received ever since.
Peter was Peter Yarrow, and his group was Peter, Paul and Mary. The song reached number 2 on the charts early in 1963.
Puff the Magic Dragon is a song about growing up and leaving behind the innocence of childhood. When Jackie Paper 'came no more' it's a reference to him growing up.
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Puff the Magic Dragondrugs
Paff,Der Zauberdrachen (Puff the Magic Dragon) song sang in german & performed Monkey Circus linz 1975 by Marlene Dietrich where her very long career largely ended when she broke her leg:Believed by some trippy hippies to refer to smoking marijuana,due to references to paper dragon(draggin)and puffs of smoke.therfore being banned around some of the world with it's association with the drug culture.
hippy: PMD a coded song about marijuana.
negra:no shit bro,i tink it was the Spooky Douglas AC-47 gunships developed by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War.
hippy:O hare krishna Puff the Magic Dragon maybe your right!
negra:no shit bro,i tink it was the Spooky Douglas AC-47 gunships developed by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War.
hippy:O hare krishna Puff the Magic Dragon maybe your right!
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Puff the Magic Dragondrugs
To smoke weed/pot/ganja and get high.
The magicdragon usually refers to the item the marijuana is being smoked in. ie- bong, joint, pipe
The magicdragon usually refers to the item the marijuana is being smoked in. ie- bong, joint, pipe
A bunch of friends are sitting around a campfire and about to smoke. John pulls out his pipe and bag of weed and says to the whole group ' Who wants to puff the magic dragon?'
Duke William and Dutchess Kate puffed the magic dragon on their wedding night and got baked off their royal asses.
Duke William and Dutchess Kate puffed the magic dragon on their wedding night and got baked off their royal asses.
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Puff The Magic Dragonunknown
1. A song written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow. The lyrics for the song were based off a poem Leanard Lipton wrote in collage and the song became popular when the group Peter, Paul and Mary sang it. It is about a boy named Jackie Paper and and his imaginary dragon friend named Puff. In 1978 there was an animated TV special based off of it.
2. A slang term used for marijuana.
2. A slang term used for marijuana.
Puff the magic dragon lives by the sea, and ...*rest of song here*
Stoner 1: Yo, I was watching Puff the magic dragon last night. It took me on a wild trip.
Stoner 2: I was there with you. I think.
Stoner 1: I don't remember. But do you remember the pink tiger? Then a picture of little elfs took me to a forest of the magic tree.
One confused kid or a old person who has seen the real movie: I don't remember that.. I got to watch it again.
Stoner 1: Yo, I was watching Puff the magic dragon last night. It took me on a wild trip.
Stoner 2: I was there with you. I think.
Stoner 1: I don't remember. But do you remember the pink tiger? Then a picture of little elfs took me to a forest of the magic tree.
One confused kid or a old person who has seen the real movie: I don't remember that.. I got to watch it again.
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puff the magic dragonunknown
A song by the vocal group Peter, Paul, and Mary from the 1960s. Widely believed to be about smoking marijuana, sources claim it was really just meant to be a song about a magic dragon.
Either way, it became imprinted in the minds of many little kids sitting around campfires.
Either way, it became imprinted in the minds of many little kids sitting around campfires.
Ex. 'I was in the mall and I heard this little kid singing 'Puff the Magic Dragon' over and over again.. man was it annoying!'
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Puff the Magic Dragonunknown
I was also used during Viet Nam to name the C-130Spector(sp?), It was basically a C-130 Gunship that would basicall fly in a holding pattern and lay down a devistating blanket of lead on the enemy.
We were pinned down by a Viet Cong Division until Puff the Magic Dragon was caled in to thin'em out.
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puff the magic dragonunknown
1. the title song of a children's movie. A child with no friends meets the dragon and gets a new friend. This all takes place in a magical town.. which the dragon can't leave because if adults see him .. he will be forced to go away. The child is passed over as having an imaginary friend.
2.A reference to smoking pot. as seen in the movie 'meet the parents'.
2.A reference to smoking pot. as seen in the movie 'meet the parents'.
Tommy:hay billy guess what I got for my bitrhday?
Billy: I dunna what?
Tommy: A dvd ..'puff the magic dragon'.
Billy: cool .. lets go watch it now!
Sue:hay tom did u see meet the parents yet.. what's this about puffing the magic dragon?
Tom:I'm not sure .. but it sure made me laugh!
Billy: I dunna what?
Tommy: A dvd ..'puff the magic dragon'.
Billy: cool .. lets go watch it now!
Sue:hay tom did u see meet the parents yet.. what's this about puffing the magic dragon?
Tom:I'm not sure .. but it sure made me laugh!
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The AC-130 Spectre was a Vietnam War aerial gunship which replaced the C-119 (Flying Boxcar) aerial gunship; which in turn had replaced the DC-3 (C-47) Puff the Magic Dragon gunship in Vietnam. 'Puff' was the originial aerial gunship.
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![C-130 C-130](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717434/979867873.jpg)
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It's very easy. Just google 'Star Wars gunship' and you'll find quite a few links. Here is one for you: http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Clone-Republic-Gunship/dp/B000CEXNOE You can also look at shop that sell toy and look at there web site or catalogue.
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C130 Gunship Puff Magic Dragon Animation
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AC-47 Spooky | |
---|---|
An AC-47D of the 4th Special Operations Squadron, over Nha Trang Air Base | |
Role | Ground-attack aircraft and close air supportgunship |
Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
First flight | 1964 |
Introduction | 1965 |
Status | In service with the Colombian Air Force |
Primary user | United States Air Force (former) |
Produced | rem |
Number built | 53 |
Developed from | C-47 Skytrain |
The Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed 'Puff, the Magic Dragon') was the first in a series of fixed wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support.
- 2Operational history
- 3Operators
- 7References
Design and development[edit]
The AC-47 was a United States Air ForceC-47, (the military version of the DC-3) that had been modified by mounting three 7.62 mm General Electric miniguns to fire through two rear window openings and the side cargo door, all on the left (pilot's) side of the aircraft, to provide close air support for ground troops. Other armament configurations could also be found on similar C-47-based aircraft around the world. The guns were actuated by a control on the pilot's yoke whereby he could control the guns either individually or together, although gunners were also among the crew to assist with gun failures and similar issues. It could orbit the target for hours, providing suppressing fire over an elliptical area approximately 52 yd (47.5 m) in diameter, placing a round every 2.4 yd (2.2 m) during a three-second burst. The aircraft also carried flares it could drop to illuminate the battleground.
AC-47
The AC-47 had no previous design to gauge how successful it would be, because it was the first of its kind. The USAF found itself in a precarious situation when requests for additional gunships began to come in because it simply lacked miniguns to fit additional aircraft after the first two conversions. The next four aircraft were equipped with ten .30 caliber AN/M2machine guns. These weapons, using World War II and Korean War ammunition stocks, were quickly discovered to jam easily, produce large amounts of gases from firing, and, even in ten-gun groups, only provide the density of fire of a single minigun. All four of these aircraft were retrofitted to the standard armament configuration when additional miniguns arrived.
The AC-47 initially used SUU-11/Agun pods that were installed on locally fabricated mounts for the gunship application. Emerson Electric eventually developed the MXU-470/A to replace the gun pods, which were also used on later gunships.
Operational history[edit]
United States Air Force[edit]
AC-47 at Nha Trang Air Base in South Vietnam
In August 1964, years of fixed-wing gunship experimentation reached a new peak with Project Tailchaser under the direction of Capt. John C. Simons. This test involved the conversion of a single Convair C-131B to be capable of firing a single GAU-2/A Minigun at a downward angle out of the left side of the aircraft. Even crude grease pencilcrosshairs were quickly discovered to enable a pilot flying in a pylon turn to hit a stationary area target with relative accuracy and ease. The Armament Development and Test Center tested the craft at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, but lack of funding soon suspended the tests. In 1964, Capt. Ron W. Terry returned from temporary duty in Vietnam as part of an Air Force Systems Command team reviewing all aspects of air operations in counter-insurgency warfare, where he had noted the usefulness of C-47s and C-123s orbiting as flare ships during night attacks on fortified hamlets. He received permission to conduct a live-fire test using the C-131 and revived the side-firing gunship program.
By October, Capt. Terry's team under Project Gunship provided a C-47D, which was converted to a similar standard as the Project Tailchaser aircraft and armed with three miniguns, which were initially mounted on locally fabricated mounts—essentially strapped gun pods intended for fixed-wing aircraft (SUU-11/A) onto a mount allowing them to be fired remotely out the port side. Captain Terry and a testing team arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, on 2 December 1964, with equipment needed to modify two C-47s. The first test aircraft (43-48579, a C-47B-5-DK mail courier converted to C-47D standard by removal of its superchargers) was ready by 11 December, the second by 15 December, and both were allocated to the 1st Air Commando Squadron for combat testing. The newly dubbed 'FC-47' often operated under the radio call sign 'Puff'. Its primary mission involved protecting villages, hamlets, and personnel from mass attacks by VC guerrilla units.
Puff's first significant success occurred on the night of 23–24 December 1964. An FC-47 arrived over the Special Forces outpost at Tranh Yend in the Mekong Delta just 37 minutes after an air support request, fired 4,500 rounds of ammunition, and broke the Viet Cong attack. The FC-47 was then called to support a second outpost at Trung Hung, about 20 miles (32 km) away. The aircraft again blunted the VC attack and forced a retreat. Between 15 and 26 December, all the FC-47's 16 combat sorties were successful. On 8 February 1965, an FC-47 flying over the Bong Son area of Vietnam's Central Highlands demonstrated its capabilities in the process of blunting a Viet Cong offensive. For over four hours, it fired 20,500 rounds into a Viet Cong hilltop position, killing an estimated 300 Viet Cong troops.
The early gunship trials were so successful, the second aircraft was returned to the United States early in 1965 to provide crew training. In July 1965, Headquarters USAF ordered TAC to establish an AC-47 squadron. By November 1965, a total of five aircraft were operating with the 4th Air Commando Squadron, activated in August as the first operational unit, and by the end of 1965, a total of 26 had been converted. Training Detachment 8, 1st Air Commando Wing, was subsequently established at Forbes AFB, Kansas. In Operation Big Shoot, the 4th ACS in Vietnam grew to 20 AC-47s (16 aircraft plus four reserves for attrition).
The 4th ACS deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, on 14 November 1965. Now using the call sign 'Spooky', each of its three 7.62 mm miniguns could selectively fire either 50 or 100 rounds per second.[1] Cruising in an overhead left-hand orbit at 120 knots air speed at an altitude of 3,000 feet (910 m), the gunship could put a bullet or glowing red tracer (every fifth round) bullet into every square yard of a football field-sized target in potentially less than 10 seconds.[2] And, as long as its 45-flare and 24,000-round basic load of ammunition held out, it could do this intermittently while loitering over the target for hours.
In May 1966, the squadron moved north to Nha Trang Air Base to join the newly activated 14th Air Commando Wing. The 3rd Air Commando Squadron was activated at Nha Trang on 5 April 1968 as a second AC-47 squadron, with both squadrons redesignated as Special Operations Squadrons on 1 August 1968. Flights of both squadrons were stationed at bases throughout South Vietnam, and one flight of the 4th SOS served at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base with the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. The superb work of the two AC-47 squadrons, each with 16 AC-47s flown by aircrews younger than the aircraft they flew, was undoubtedly a key contributor to the award of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 14th Air Commando Wing in June 1968.
MXU-470/A minigun modules in an AC-47
One of the most publicized battles of the Vietnam War was the siege of Khe Sanh in early 1968, known as 'Operation Niagara'. More than 24,000 tactical and 2,700 B-52 strikes dropped 110,000 tons of ordnance in attacks that averaged over 300 sorties per day. During the two and a half months of combat in that tiny area, fighters were in the air day and night. At night, AC-47 gunships kept up a constant chatter of fire against enemy troops. During darkness, AC-47 gunships provided illumination against enemy troops.[citation needed]
The AC-47D gunship should not be confused with a small number of C-47s which were fitted with electronic equipment in the 1950s. Prior to 1962, these aircraft were designated AC-47D. When a new designation system was adopted in 1962, these became EC-47Ds. The original gunships had been designated FC-47D by the United States Air Force, but with protests from fighter pilots, this designation was changed to AC-47D during 1965. Of the 53 aircraft converted to AC-47 configuration, 41 served in Vietnam and 19 were lost to all causes, 12 in combat.[3] Combat reports indicate that no village or hamlet under Spooky Squadron protection was ever lost, and a plethora of reports from civilians and military personnel were made about AC-47s coming to the rescue and saving their lives.
As the United States began Project Gunship II and Project Gunship III, many of the remaining AC-47Ds were transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, the Royal Lao Air Force, and to Cambodia's Khmer Air Force, after Prince Norodom Sihanouk was deposed in a coup by General Lon Nol.
A1C John L. Levitow, an AC-47 loadmaster with the 3rd SOS, received the Medal of Honor for saving his aircraft, Spooky 71, from destruction on 24 February 1969 during a fire support mission at Long Binh. The aircraft was struck by an 82-mm mortar round that inflicted 3,500 shrapnel holes, wounding Levitow 40 times, but he used his body to jettison an armed magnesium flare, which ignited shortly after Levitow ejected it from the aircraft, allowing the AC-47 to return to base.
Other air forces[edit]
In 2006, Colombia started operating retrofitted AC-47s, where they are known by civilians as avion fantasma (ghost plane). They are successfully operated by the Colombian Air Force in counter-insurgency operations in conjunction with AH-60 Arpia helicopters (an armed variant of the UH-60) and Cessna A-37 Dragonflys against local illegally armed groups. These are five Basler BT-67s purchased by Colombia with .50 cal (12.7 mm) GAU-19/A machine guns slaved to a forward looking infrared (or FLIR) system. They also have the ability to carry bombs.[4][5] At least one has been seen fitted with one GAU-19/A and a 20 mm cannon, most likely a French made M621. The BT-67 is a variant of the C-47/DC-3 modified by the Basler Corporation of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
In 1970, the Indonesian Air Force converted a former civilian DC-3. The converted aircraft was armed with three .50 cal machine guns. During 1975, the Indonesian Air Force used its 'AC-47' in the Indonesian invasion of East Timor to attack the city of Dili. Later, the aircraft was used in Indonesian military close air support missions in East Timor. A retirement date is unknown.
![C-130 gunship puff the magic dragon C-130 gunship puff the magic dragon](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123717434/132632312.jpg)
North Vietnam captured several AC-47s in 1975 and is very likely that some of them may have seen actual combat in Cambodia.
In December 1984 and January 1985, the United States supplied two AC-47D gunships to the El Salvador Air Force and trained aircrews to operate the system.[6] The AC-47 gunship carried three .50 cal machine guns and could loiter and provide heavy firepower for army operations. As the FAS had long operated C-47s, it was easy for the United States to train pilots and crew to operate the aircraft as a weapons platform. By all accounts, the AC-47 soon became probably the most effective weapon in the FAS arsenal.[7]
Variants of the AC-47 based on various iterations of the airframe including the BT-67, have been used by various airforces including those of Laos, Cambodia, South Africa, El Salvador and Rhodesia. A variety of weapons configurations include Gatling guns of numerous types, various medium and heavy machine guns and larger autocannon (South African 'Dragon Daks' were known to fit 20 mm cannons). The Republic of China Air Force (Taiwanese Air Force) also converted some of its C-47s to gunships. These machines were armed with M2 machine guns taken from retired F-86s.
Operators[edit]
Current operators[edit]
- Colombia[citation needed]
- Colombian Air Force – Technically not a C-47 or AC-47, but a Basler BT-67 by Basler Turbo Conversions LLC.
- El Salvador[citation needed]
![Puff magic dragon gunship Puff magic dragon gunship](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/05/e1/03/05e103edb75e3e7b702091c4048b4d18.jpg)
Former operators[edit]
- Thailand[citation needed]
- Philippines[citation needed]
- Cambodia
- Kingdom of Laos
C130 Gunship Puff Magic Dragon Lyrics
- South Vietnam
- United States
- United States Air Force – Tactical Air Command
- 14th Special Operations Wing – Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam (detachments at Danang, Pleiku, Bien Hoa and Binh Thuy)
- 3rd Air Commando Squadron 1968–69
- 4th Air Commando Squadron 1964–69
- 14th Special Operations Wing – Nha Trang Air Base, Vietnam (detachments at Danang, Pleiku, Bien Hoa and Binh Thuy)
Aircraft on display[edit]
There are aircraft painted to represent AC-47s on static display at the Air Commando Park at Hurlburt Field and the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base.[8] These airframes never were AC-47s and were actually regular unarmed C-47s.[9][10]
Specifications (AC-47)[edit]
Data from[citation needed]
General characteristics
- Crew: 7: pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, loadmaster and 2 gunners
- Length: 64 ft 5 in (19.63 m)
- Wingspan: 95 ft 0 in (28.96 m)
- Height: 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m)
- Wing area: 987 sq ft (91.7 m2)
- Empty weight: 18,080 lb (8,201 kg)
- Gross weight: 33,000 lb (14,969 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 230 mph (370 km/h; 200 kn)
- Cruise speed: 175 mph (282 km/h; 152 kn)
- Range: 2,175 mi (1,890 nmi; 3,500 km)
- Service ceiling: 24,450 ft (7,450 m)
- Wing loading: 33.4 lb/sq ft (163 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns:
- 3 × 7.62 mm General Electric GAU-2/M134 miniguns, 2,000 rpm or
- 10 × .30 in Browning AN/M2 machine guns
- 48 × Mk 24 flares
See also[edit]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^It can be seen in action here.
- ^'AC-47 Factsheet'. Archived from the original on 2014-10-11.
- ^Hobson, Chris. Vietnam Air Losses, USAF/USN/USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2001. ISBN1-85780-115-6.
- ^'Colombia: Seguridad & Defensa.'fuerzasmilitares.net. Retrieved: 12 December 2011.
- ^'The Only World War II Aircraft Still In Service.'Strategypage.com. Retrieved: 14 December 2012.
- ^А. Кувшинников. 'Драконы' расправляют крылья // 'Известия', № 12 (21089) от 12 января 1985. стр.4
- ^Corum, James S. and Johnson, Wray R. 'Airpower in Small Wars: Fighting Insurgents and Terrorists' Kansas University Press: 2003. ISBN0-7006-1239-4. p.337.
- ^'Hurlburt Field Memorial Airpark Guide'(PDF). Hurlburt Field. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^'Old friends reunite at Hurlburt'. Hurlburt Field. 28 November 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^Campbell, Douglas E. (1 February 2012). BuNos! Disposition of World War II USN, USMC and USCG Aircraft Listed by Bureau Number. Lulu.com. p. 300. ISBN9781105420719. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
Bibliography[edit]
- Corum, James S. and Johnson, Wray R. 'Airpower in Small Wars: Fighting Insurgents and Terrorists' University Press of Kansas: 2003. ISBN0-7006-1239-4.
- Donald, David. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1997. ISBN0-7607-0592-5.
- Flintham, Victor. Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of Air Combat, 1945 to the Present. New York: Facts on File, 1990. ISBN0-8160-2356-5.
- Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN0-370-00050-1.
- Gradidge, Jennifer M. The Douglas DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 – The First Seventy Years (two volumes). Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2006. ISBN0-85130-332-3.
- Project CHECO. Contemporary Historical Evaluation of Combat Operations: Fixed Wing Gunships in Southeast Asia, Retrieved: 22 November 2012.
- Thigpen, Jerry L. The Praetorian STARShip: The untold story of the Combat Talon
External links[edit]
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