![]() ![]() In March, an AC-130J operated in Japan for the first time, and in May, an AC-130J trained in Romania for the first time.īut everything began in the jungles of Vietnam. The latest version of the gunship, the AC-130J, continues to be well traveled. The AC-130 is so effective that it has been supporting conventional and special-operations troops for close to 60 years, seeing action in Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. If you were to ask special operators about their favorite close-air-support aircraft, you would get two answers: the A-10 Thunderbolt and the AC-130 gunship.īoth platforms are beloved by commandos and conventional ground troops alike for their effective firepower, but the AC-130 gunship has the edge over the A-10 because of its unique ability to fire continually against a target.Įssentially an aerial artillery platform, the AC-130 attacks using the "pylon turn" technique - flying in a wide circle above the target area, allowing for a steady volume of fire, as opposed to having to turn and come back like the A-10. See more stories on Insider's business page. "The sheer number of weapons options it brought to the battlefield was wild," a former Air Force combat controller told Insider. The AC-130's utility and effectiveness created a dynasty that's now on its sixth version. Since the mid-1960s, AC-130 gunships have provided close air support for troops all over the world. An AC-130U gunship launches flares near Hurlburt Field, Florida, August 20, 2008.
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