What is the most powerful gunship?
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft.
Is the AC-130 gunship retired?
The AC-130H “Spectre” gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. The last AC-130U was flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, June 26, 2020, for retirement.
Is the AC-130 real?
Manufacturer: Lockheed / Boeing Corp. The AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and point air defense.
How many C-130 gunships were shot down?
More than 15 percent of the approximately 2,350 Lockheed C-130 Hercules production hulls have been lost, including 70 by the US Air Force and the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
Does Russia have an AC-130?
The AC-130 has proven invaluable in small wars against lightly defended targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as supporting special operations.
What replaced the Spectre gunship?
The Spectre is being replaced with the AC-130J Ghostrider (see below). The AC-130U interior features an array of screens and sensors that allow the operators to find ground targets.
What is an AC-130 gun ship?
The Lockheed AC-130 is a C-130 cargo plane converted into a gunship. The port side of the AC-130 houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns.
How do you close the AC-130 gunship?
This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support.
How many mm rounds does an AC-130 shoot?
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.
What happened to the AC-130U’Spooky’gunship?
^ AC-130U ‘Spooky’ Gunship Completes its Final Combat Deployment Archived 14 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Military.com. 10 July 2019. ^ a b “AC-130U “Spooky” Gunship Rolls Into Retirement”. U.S. Air Force, 21 August 2019. ^ AFSOC’s ‘Ultimate Battle Plane’ Now Operating in Afghanistan. Military.com. 16 September 2019. ^ John Pike.