No matter the variant, the AC-130 is jam-packed with the sort of weaponry one would expect to find on a “gunship.”
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is somewhat pedestrian as far as military aircraft goes—a propeller-driven transport that looks almost commercial. But a derivative of the C-130, the AC-130 gunship, is a deceptively lethal ground-attack aircraft that has served with the U.S. Air Force since the 1960s. Loaded with a variety of gatling guns, howitzers, bombs, and missiles, the AC-130 is armed to the teeth—and one of the most dangerous planes in the Air Force’s vast arsenal.
The AC-130 Was Made to Fight the Viet Cong
At the onset of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force began experimenting with gunships—aircraft that could offer more firepower for ground-attack scenarios than the existing light and medium ground-attack aircraft of the day.
The first such gunship to enter service was the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, a variant of the C-47 Skytrain that was often referred to as “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” The AC-47 demonstrated that the gunship concept worked, but it had plenty of room for improvements, namely with respect to endurance and ordnance capacity. With the AC-47’s deficiencies in mind, the Lockheed AC-130 was crafted, with improved endurance and ordnance capacity than the AC-47 and with better performance specifications than a helicopter.
The AC-130 is heavily armed, with an array of weapons suitable for ground attack, all integrated with cutting edge sensors and fire-control systems. The gunship’s weapons can be calibrated to either provide precision firepower in a particular target area, or saturation firepower over a larger target area.
The exact weaponry installed on the AC-130 differs from variant to variant. The AC-130J, for example, features the 30-mm Bushmaster cannon, which can fire up to 200 rounds per minute, and a massive 105-mm howitzer capable of annihilating hard targets and structures. The J-variant also features precision-guided munitions, like the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb and the AGM-114 Hellfire. Other variants, like the AC-130U, carry the 25-mm GAU-12 Equalizer, a minigun capable of firing 4,000 rounds per minute, and the 40-mm L/60 Bofors, a single-barrel cannon that delivers high-explosive rounds. But no matter the variant, the AC-130 is jam-packed with the sort of weaponry one would expect to find on a “gunship.”
The AC-130’s Versatility Is One of Its Strengths
The AC-130 can operate for extended periods, in day or night, and in poor weather. The aircraft’s sophisticated imaging technology—electro-optical image sensor, infrared sensor, and radar, i.e., the AN/APQ-180—allow for the AC-130 crew to identify targets (and friendly forces) even when poor weather limits visibility.
Entering service in 1967, before the peak of the Vietnam War, the AC-130 proved itself as an accurate fire support option. Typically, the AC-130, which was sometimes confronted with concentrated anti-aircraft fire, was flown under the protection of three F-4 Phantom fighters. Still, six AC-130s were lost during the Vietnam War, four in 1972 alone.
However, an AC-130 has not been lost since 1991. During Operation Desert Storm, one AC-130H (callsign: “SPIRIT-03”) was shot down during the Battle of Khafji in Saudi Arabia. In the decades since, the plane has seen extensive—and valuable—service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today, the gunship is still in service, mostly with AFSOC, who still finds use in the heavily armed C-130-derivative.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
