AC-130

The Spectre gunship—a Lockheed Martin product—exemplifies the slogan “Death From Above.”

America’s C-130 transport plane is one of the most iconic and reliable workhorses of the United States military. It first saw action in the Vietnam War, when the United States needed...

What You Need to Know: The U.S. Air Force has shifted AC-130J Ghostrider training from Hurlburt Field, Florida, to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, consolidating training and reducing costs....

Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Air Force has decided to retain the AC-130 gunship’s iconic 105mm howitzer, despite ongoing discussions about its relevance in modern warfare. -The heavily armed...

Summary and Key Points: In a historic first, the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) successfully landed an AC-130J Ghostrider Gunship on a highway in Arkansas during the Emerald...

Summary and Key Points: The AC-130 “Spectre” gunship, also known as “Spooky,” is a heavily armed aircraft born out of necessity during the Vietnam War to provide close-air support (CAS)...

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) provides the U.S. Air Force’s counterparts to U.S. Army Special Forces (AKA “The Green Berets”), Navy SEALs, and Recon Marines. AFSOC’s Mission Statement and...

Plenty of U.S. combat aircraft strike fear into adversaries on the ground. Those include such warbirds as the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the B-52 Stratofortress, and of course the F-35 Lightning...

Here’s What You Need to Know: The rise of great power competition means less time for nation building and counter-insurgency. Air Force Special Operators have a lot of jobs. They can attack...

Here’s What You Need to Remember: Air Force Special Operators conducting close air support missions would most likely reach optimal functionality should they operate in an area where the United States...

Here’s What You Need to Remember: These attack aircraft have, over the years, ably performed one of the most critical airpower missions—the destruction of the fielded forces of the enemy, and...

Here’s What You Need To Remember: The AC-130 has proven invaluable in small wars against lightly defended targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as supporting special operations. Which suggests...