The Blaze Profiles…the Military’s AC-130 Gunship
- Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:15am by
Buck Sexton
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We live in an age when people say our military can shoot a missile down a chimney. But in the war on terror, sometimes what you really need is just a few huge guns to unleash massive firepower anywhere on the battlefield, at any time.
With that in mind, today the Blaze gives props to the AC-130 Gunship.
Between the AC-130 and the A-10 Warthog, the U.S. military has the most formidable close-air support capabilities in the world. While the A-10 is a battle-tested, tank-killing bruiser, the AC-130 models can offer total battlefield dominance to our soldiers on the ground.
Surprisingly, the AC-130′s heritage is that of a cargo plane, not a fighter or a bomber. The Vietnam-era predecessor to the AC-130 is the Hercules transport plane. The airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, but Boeing arms it up to make the AC-130 an aerial offensive powerhouse. Its primary mission is close air support, but the AC-130 also takes on armed reconnaissance and air interdiction roles.
The two main variants in action today are the Air Force’s AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky. Both planes fall into the AC-130 gunship family, though the Spooky is the 3rd generation model and is almost double the price of the Spectre at $210 million.
Photo Credit: Robert Abbott jr.
When it comes to armaments, the AC-130 is basically a flying artillery battery. Its most common weapons configuration has three main guns over varying sizes, each one bringing a different option to the fight.
The GAU-12/U Equalizer gatling-style gun can fire 3600 rounds per minute and completely saturate an area. Some operators have claimed “it can put a round on every inch of a football field.” If our Rangers or Marines run into trouble, whether it’s an urban fight in Mosul or a mountain pass in Kandahar, a “Spooky” or “Spectre” can rain down the fury with this versatile anti-personnel weapon.
If the enemy has some vehicles in the mix, then the AC-130′s mid-size weapon– a 30 mm Bushmaster cannon– would come in handy with its 200 rounds per minute rate of fire. Older models had 25 mm or 40 mm cannons, but they have been phased out in favor of the 30.
Photo Credit: Robert Abbott jr.
And if the bad guys are really dug-in, “Spooky” can pound fortifications with its 105 mm howitzer. That’s right– the AC-130 lugs around a heavy artillery piece up in the sky, points it at the ground, and tears it up.
The Spectre and Spooky models both have advanced electronic and navigation equipment upgrades from the earlier C-130 models. The Air Force describes the electronics package as follows:
“The sensor suite consists of a television sensor, infrared sensor and radar… to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets…and employs a synthetic aperture strike radar for long-range and adverse weather target detection and identification. The AC-130′s navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and global positioning systems.”
The AC-130′s defenses are formidable, too. As the weapons are port-side facing, the AC-130 flies a continuous loiter loop around its target, which makes it susceptible to ground fire and surface-to-air missiles. Fortunately, the AC-130 has that threat covered too with an array of countermeasures, including this flare dispersal shown in the video below:
To sum it up, here is a live fire exercise with an AC-130 that gives a good overview of its characteristics and capabilities. Note the distinctive “ripping” sound it makes as the gunship lays down suppressive fire. Airboyd.tv provides the video:
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Comments (157)
JustJP
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:06amSpooky terrorizes the terrorists.
Report Post »Recondo
Posted on September 26, 2011 at 4:30pmRangers and Delta asked for these on October 3rd, 1993 when they were in Somalia….Clinton said NO and 19 guys died…..
Report Post »OldVietVet
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:53amGotta love that CAS–My generation fell in love with the “Spads”, “Spookys”, and “Jolly Greens” for their loitering capacity and firepower where the rubber met the road! Sometimes old is better–especially if it’s flown by the best!
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:04amAhhh memories………it was always one of my favorite aircraft.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 11:13amI only had one experence with Spooky. It as unreal, very scary and awe inspiring.
Report Post »FearlessInfedel62
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 2:15amMy hat is off for your service to our country, and I agree do’nt mess with the U.S.!
Report Post »GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:42am@sgtb Steven Jones has been a “thermite” red herring since Dimitri Khalezov published his book exposing what really happened. If U wana go there I can bring up numerous outrageous debunker claims like exceeding 500 mph, can’t happen at sealevel, the air is too thick.
Yes jet fuel high temps REQUIRE FORCED INDUCTION, in open air they only hit 220 deg C at MOST. Learn some basic chemistry. This is why u depend on the gov, u couldn’t make it in private industry, too dumb.
Where did these blast radius come from recorded by NASA?
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/images/lg-map-therm1.jpg
Stop being stupid, it takes POWDERED aluminum and lots of IRON OXIDE to make thermite.
Dustoff
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:46amWere talking about an aircraft. Not 911.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:41am@ groundzero You need to stop smokin you medical canibus. You have lost your grip on the real world. Your kind are always championing the cause against bullying but then when its on a greater scale and the bully wants to kill you, you bury your head in the sand. Well, don’t worry, those of us sheepdogs in the U.S. will continue to protect you sheep.
Report Post »FearlessInfedel62
Posted on September 22, 2011 at 2:34amGunner, You tell it like it is! I’m not a veteran, but I love our country and would fight for it till the end, as I know you would. It’s a shame the honor our true American defenders have shown is lost to this brain-washed LIBERAL GENERATION of fools, who imbolden our enemies and flip-off our friends. I hope the next Pres. brings back the bust of CHURCHHILL back to the NEW WHITEHOUSE and a new AMERICA!
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:39amNot reading your post…PRICELESS!
Report Post »WireWizard
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:39amOf all the aircraft I have worked on and flown in, the C130 is the best.
A bit noisy for the passengers, but the safest thing with wings.
I heard a volunteer crew flew one out of Viet Nam on one engine during the evacuation.
I heard you could put one into a stall and it would hang by the props until it shook apart.
Legendary
Report Post »sbleve
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:57amPerhaps the most successful medium hauler ever engineered with the A-model appearing in the 50′s. The A model even with learned engineering weaknesses continued to improve.
Riding on a grunt taxicab C-130 in the mid 1960′s, during take-off landings at the ‘condensation altitude’ the overhead air circulation vents would ‘cloud-fog‘ the inside of the air craft cargo area sometimes to point that two seats down the person would look ’spooky’ in the fog.
Report Post »sbleve
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:07amRecall the A model fire fighting air tanker (purchased by civilian as ‘surplus obsolete’. The wing spars made of an alloy aluminum have ‘life’ expectant’ fatigue thresholds. Wing spars are very expensive to build, in this case ‘surplus’ impractical to replace.
In 2002 a video tragic event with the wings breaking away.
Still the C-130 in any airworthy form is a good bet to ride.
Report Post »pilgrimhere
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:00pmI saw a C 130 in a slow pass over the flight line at Dyess AFB ‘91 suddenly ascend to almost verticle then level out. It must have climbed 100′ though. Very impressive aircraft … and when armed to the teeth, better be in it and not under it.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:12amNuclear demolition huh. What’s wrong with the old thermite demolition that your side has always been saying? Did you finally realize that several tons of vaporized aluminum scrap (the plane) and rusted iron (the building’s structure) are enough to cause a thermite reaction and that no thermite bombs would have to be planted? Here is the deal, there are several thousand eye witnesses that saw a plane fly into the two towers. The collapse of building 7 is a little fishy, but it was on fire for several hours and I’m not sure if it took falling debris from the 2 previous attacks or not, but I would suspect that it did. Unfortunately, buildings have a nasty habit of falling down when they are burned.
And if you‘re stupid enough to say that jet fuel doesn’t burn hot enough to melt steel, go do some research into why air has to be forced into turbine blades and out the front of them to shield them from heat so they don’t melt. Also, it is important to note that these blades are made of high melt temp alloys as well. I‘ll never understand someone saying that jet fuel doesn’t burn hot enough to melt steel.
BigJohnT
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:50pmOff topic
Report Post »Rweb
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:09amthe c 130 and the A10 are about 50 years old each and still the best at what they do.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:32amUnreal…..
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:42amThe A-10 is not 50 years old.It went into active duty in the late 70s.The C-130 is around 50 years old.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 11:17amBefore the A-10, we relied on the A1E. It was a prop plane that could loiter forever. It went low and slow and waxed the NVA.
Report Post »Bonesaw
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 1:35pmDo a search on the capability of the A10′s forward cannon. The thing in unreal! I got to see it up close at the Air force museum. The A10 and the AC-130 are just denotational pieces of equipment.
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:03amSend in 50 of them to Afghanistan, clean up the opposition, leave. The only good Taliban is a dead Taliban. So, kill as many as possible and leave.
Report Post »Shellback
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:29amThey have been used there. There are many pictures and videos of that aircraft in action. Try to find the picture named Afghani Tornado.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:59am.
I think they should issue one of these to all the “Coon Ass” & “Red Neck” Deer Hunters in the country. Then Declare open season on “Terrorist’s” w/ a $1000 bounty, then let it be known that the Terrorist hate the U.S.A., Mama, the Baby Jesus, country music & pick up trucks. And the most egregious offence of all they are DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF DALE EARNHARDT.
If they would implement this plan today, I think we could have this wraped up by Thanksgiving……..
Report Post »rickbob
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:51amSucks to be on the receiving end of the Spectre. . .
Report Post »Dexter Alarius
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:51am“The Quiet Professionals”
Report Post »Happy Birthday, USAF (on the 17th)!
Michael
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:36amI suspect your tin-foil hat is on too tight.
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:35amYou can actually walk up and touch one of the older models at the National Museum of the USAF here in Dayton Ohio. The amount of firepower even the old model carries is quite impressive.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:13amBeen to that museum many times. Born and raised in the Dayton area.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:34amIs this some kind of threat coming from Obama directed at the TEA? Is Obama telling us not to get in his way or we may face an accidental C130 gunship attack. This C130 gunship has been around for over 40 years so why now? It does have one vulnerability, it has to take off from some airfield.
Report Post »wbailey3276
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:46pmI remember taking off (as a passenger after a Marine war game) from a metal mesh runway in Kokura, Kyushu, Japan in winter 1964 (light snow on the ground) in a C-130 with JATO pods. Not much of an airfield. Can the AC-130s do this as well?
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:33amWhat the h3ll are you trying to say MORON? Go troll somewhere else.
Report Post »scguitar
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:31amCall of Duty comes to mind ;)
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:30amANOTHER OBAMA WARNING TO THE TEA
Don‘t dare get in Obama’s way because if you do you face accidental C130 gun ship attacks. This C130 gun ship has been around for over 40 years so why now?
kickagrandma
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:25amBLAZE ~~~ Why don’t you quit putting OUR weapons out there for everybody (including our enemies) to learn about and instead, write about all our enemies’ weapons and how we can decommission them? Seems like that would be a better plan for survival and our success.
Does it bother anybody else that two or more recent stories here have been about OUR weapons?
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:29amNo, it doesn’t bother me. You know why? This stuff is common knowledge. The Warthog is one of the most well-known planes in the world.
The AC-130 is so popular it can be found within the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare video games where you actually play from within it.
If you think the enemy hasn’t figured out about it by now, then you are simply delusional.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:30am.
Yes Grandma it does. I don’t need to see this thing wasting good ammo on a practice field. I want to see body part‘s raining down after this thing does what it’s supposed to do………
By the way where did you go to school?….lol……
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:37amSpanky, you speak as if a moron.
Report Post »MHP
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:37amHow ’bout using it to go after the gangs in the cities.
Report Post »They’d be gone instantly
Meyvn
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:50amGlad we have these kinds of weapons, but would rather see The Blaze covering our new UN-constitutional Super Committee.
Report Post »bulldawg
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:00amThe only one this is a secret too, is the liberals who always say we have to pass the Bill to find-out whats in it. Just maybe these morons who think we are a push over might think twice before screwing with America, besides if they know were going to stick this thing up their @$$ they might just think twice.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:00amDid you see a video about our new ac-130 laser planes or something? What they are showing is old news and all of this tech has been out in the world for decades. Soon though, we will have airborne laser c-130′s that can hit targets in the air or on the ground within a 25 mile radius. Basically, if they can see it they can shoot it, and sense the range is far less than that of the boeing 747 missile defense laser, it can be smaller, lighter, and less complicated. Could you imagine 3 or 4 c130′s flying a mile or two apart, all with the capability to hit ground and air threats with deadly accuracy over a 50 mile area? Combine that with scouting drone ships that can determine ground based threats and relay target information to the c-130′s targeting system and you have no way to defeat this kind of threat.
I’m not worried at all that they are showing youtube videos of our old tech at all. And this is coming from a Marine aviation comm/nav repair tech. MOS/6412 in case you are wondering.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:14amSince…
I meant since not sense. At least I wasn’t making up words.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:15amThis plane has been around for a long time and trust me, our enemies have known about the firepower first hand. I would rather know why we didn’t have a pretator drone go over and finish destroying our stealth helicopter before the Afgans had a chance to share it with china? For all the intelligance the chinese got, I believe our debt should be erased.Stealth tech is not cheap. Commie bastards got it for free.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:15amOur enemies have access to the internet and you can research any known weapon in the world.I like this feature from “The Blaze.”
Report Post »cknapp
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:35amIt only bothers people who have reason to be bothered…are you holed up in a “spider hole” in Afghanistan or Iraq? If so, please step outside so our satellites can see you for targeting acquisition!
Craig Knapp
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 11:20amno
Report Post »BigJohnT
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 4:40pmA real moron here.
Report Post »BBomber66
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 5:50pmMost performance features are known through several reliable publications and long before the blaze was thought of. Information not for general consumption isn’t found in these publications. Some specs given as a range or approximation, like Mach 2+ or > X payload. The F-4 was a Mach 2.2 a/c that outperformed the Mig (Mach 1.7 or so) and had a kill ratio advantage of 10 to1. Even the Mach 2+ Migs could not best our pilots. One also has to be able to fly the plane regardless of its specs.
At one time the C-130 was flown by over 90% of the countries on the planet. It holds the record for the greatest number of configurations and missions: it dumps fire retardant, flies into the eyes of hurricanes, shuttle relief supplies and medivacs. It has been a work horse since 1954. The A model props were three bladed.
It has one of the best, if not the best, safety records of any aircraft. Okay, I’m guessing here based on rumors. It is an a/c of legends. If it got you up, it would get you down. Worked for me.
My favorite a/c is the A-10, the 130 is next. I like it that they get on the deck with the guys in the trenches. The guys in the trenches love them, too.
Quirky fact: I was the sole passenger on a C-5A from the States to Ger during the moratorium not to fly passengers due to stress fractures. I had forgotten that until just now. Long (9 hrs) lonely flight with my box lunch: baloney, bread, crackers, an apple and a box of juice. –SMSgt USAF (Ret
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 11:01pm@SgtB
Report Post »I think you are talking about the movie, “Real Genius”.
BannedByHuffpo
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:52amThere are few things more exhilarating than seeing one of these ships show up on the battlefield at night. I’ll never forget the sight of an old DC-3 based Spooky raining red tracers back in Tay Ninh province. The only thing it could use is some musical accompanyment …. say maybe Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun”.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:59amI still love the scene of the Hueys coming in, in Apocalypse Now, playing Flight of the Valkyrie. Man was that something.
Report Post »Llewsilverhand
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:11amThank you for your service, Sir!
Report Post »Sicboy
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:48amDon’t know much about them. What I do know is we lost one over Bagdad in Desert Storm. 17 crew lost in the crash. Was it worth it? Not in my eyes.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:57amSicboy… Don’t know much about them. What I do know is we lost one over Bagdad in Desert Storm. 17 crew lost in the crash. Was it worth it? Not in my eyes.
Any US deaths is a terrible thing but people die in war, thats what it is all about. Think how many soldiers would have been necessary to do the job they were doing, and if they had all been lost.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 8:46amThis gun ship has several Gatling guns and two or more howitzers. It has computer controlled telescopic gun sights and can accurately fire from over 30,000 feet. It was used in Vietnam and the Panama invasion. It has not really won any battles and is no more affective than conventional artillery or there would be more of them.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:51amThe AC-130 that was lost was from King Fahd International Airport (Then under construction and a secret location) It was stationed with our A-10A unit. Fourteen crew members were lost.I still have a 105 brass casing,and a 40mm casing from the Gunship fired in anger from the First Gulf war. I also have a 30mm casing from the A-10.And some other related things.Remove before flight safety devices for certain munitions.
Report Post »tomloy
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:41amYou gotta love the AC-130. I’ve seen pictures on the net of an AC-130 using the gatling gun to saturate a terrorist camp. Very Impressive.
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:35amThis machine is the special operator’s best friend. It can literally put a 155mm howitzer shell in a dumpster at 10,000 feet from 6 miles away. It can disable a vehicle by shooting out the engine block & leave the occupants available for capture. It can put rounds just in front of the forward line of friendly troops way inside what is normally deemed danger close. To top it off it can see thru the night, the fog & the rain.
Report Post »spectres
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 10:10pmRon- you are correct about accuracy, but largest gun on the Herk is the 105mm. Don’t think a 155 would work. You can almost drive nails with the 105mm. A great machine.
Report Post »ironcowboy
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:29amAhh yes this brings back some great Air Force memories of my beloved C-130
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 9:55amThey were awesome to see. I remember during the war, we drove on the flight line to get a closer look at them. I saw the one named “Azrael” (spelling?) meaning “Angel of Death!” Our restricted area badges allowed us to go on the flight line from the Munitions storage area to deliver munintions.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on September 19, 2011 at 7:19amGood ole spooky let it rain steel rain.
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