Lockheed AC-130

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance ground-attack
variant of the C-130 Hercules transport fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide
array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated
sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. Unlike other military fixed-wing
aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. Because its large profile and
low operating altitudes (around 7,000 ft) make it an easy target, it usually
flies close air support missions at night.

The airframe is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while Boeing is responsible for
the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. Developed during the
Vietnam War as 'Project Gunship II', the AC-130 replaced the Douglas AC-47
Spooky, or 'Gunship I'. The sole operator is the United States Air Force, which
uses the AC-130U Spooky and AC-130W Stinger II variants for close air support,
air interdiction, and force protection, with the AC-130J Ghostrider in
development. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting
convoys, and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against
planned targets and targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include
defending air bases and other facilities. AC-130Us are based at Hurlburt Field,
Florida, while AC-130Ws are based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico; gunships can be
deployed worldwide. The squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations
Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command
(SOCOM).

The AC-130 has an unpressurized cabin, with the weaponry mounted to fire from
the port side of the fuselage. During an attack, the gunship performs a pylon
turn, flying in a large circle around the target, therefore being able to fire
at it for far longer than in a conventional strafing attack. The AC-130H Spectre
was armed with two 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannons, one Bofors 40 mm cannon, and one
105 mm M102 howitzer; after 1994, the 20 mm cannons were removed. The upgraded
AC-130U Spooky has a single 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon in place of the
Spectre's two 20 mm cannons, an improved fire control system, and increased
ammunition capacity.

The new AC-130J is based on the MC-130J Combat Shadow II special operations
tanker as of 2012. The AC-130W is armed with one 30 mm Bushmaster cannon,
AGM-176 Griffin missiles, and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs).


Role
Ground-attack aircraft and close air support gunship

Manufacturer
Lockheed
Lockheed Martin
Boeing

First flight
AC-130A: 1966

Introduction
AC-130A: 1968
AC-130H: 1969

Retired
AC-130A: 1995
AC-130H: 2015

Status
In service

Primary user
United States Air Force

Number built
47 (in all variants)

Unit cost

AC-130H: US$132.4 million
AC-130U: US$253 million (2016)


Developed from
Lockheed C-130 Hercules

During the Vietnam War, the C-130 Hercules was selected to replace the Douglas
AC-47 Spooky gunship (Project Gunship I) in order to improve mission endurance
and increase capacity to carry munitions. Capable of flying faster than
helicopters and at high altitudes with excellent loiter time, the use of the
pylon turn allowed the AC-47 to deliver continuous accurate fire to a single
point on the ground.

The Air Force decided to add a 105 mm cannon to the AC-130J in addition to the
30 mm cannon and smart bombs, the shells being more accurate and cheaper than
dropping SDBs. AFSOC is interested in adding a directed energy weapon to the
AC-130J by 2020, similar to the previous Advanced Tactical Laser program. It is
to produce a beam of up to 120 kW, or potentially even 180–200 kW, weigh about
5,000 lb (2,300 kg), defensively destroy anti-aircraft missiles, and offensively
engage communications towers, boats, cars, and aircraft.

By 2018, AC-130 gunships will have been providing close air support for special
operators for 50 years. Although the aircraft have been kept relevant through
constant upgrades to their weaponry, sensor packages, and countermeasures, they
are not expected to be survivable in future non-permissive environments due to
their high signatures and low airspeeds. Military analysts, such as the Center
for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, have suggested that AFSOC invest in
more advanced technologies to fill the role to operate in future contested
combat zones, including a mix of low-cost disposable unmanned and stealthy
strike aircraft.

Specifications

General characteristics
Crew: 13 Officers: 5 (pilot, copilot, navigator, fire control officer,
electronic warfare officer)
Enlisted: 8 (flight engineer, TV operator, infrared detection set operator,
loadmaster, four aerial gunners)

Length: 97 ft 9 in (29.8 m)
Wingspan: 132 ft 7 in (40.4 m)
Height: 38 ft 6 in (11.7 m)
Wing area: 1745.5 ft² (162.2 m²)
Loaded weight: 122,400 lb (55,520 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 155,000 lb (69,750 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, 4,910 shp (3,700 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 260 knots (300 mph, 480 km/h)
Range: 2,200 nm (2,530 mi, 4,070 km)
Service ceiling: 30,000 ft (9,100 m)

Armament

AC-130A Project Gunship II4 × 7.62 mm GAU-2/A miniguns
4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barrel Gatling cannon
AC-130A Surprise Package, Pave Pronto, AC-130E Pave Spectre2× 7.62 mm GAU-2/A
miniguns
2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
2× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
AC-130E Pave Aegis2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
AC-130H Spectre
(Prior to c. 2000)
2× 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon
1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer

(Current Armament)
1× General Dynamics 25 mm (0.984 in) GAU-12/U Equalizer 5-barreled Gatling
cannon
1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
AC-130U Spooky II1× General Dynamics 25 mm (0.984 in) GAU-12/U Equalizer
5-barreled Gatling cannon
1× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon
1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer
AC-130W Stinger II / AC-130J Ghostrider1× 30 mm ATK GAU-23/A autocannon
1× 105 mm M102 howitzer (AC-130J Ghostrider only)

'Gunslinger' weapons system with launch tube for AGM-176 Griffin missiles and/or
GBU-44/B Viper Strike munitions (10 round magazines)
Wing mounted, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs)
and/or GBU-53/B SDB IIs (4 per hardpoint on BRU-61/A rack)

Avionics
AC-130H Spectre
Mission systems: Northrop Grumman AN/APN-241 multimode navigation radar –
derived version of AN/APG-66 radar (formerly used on F-16A Fighting Falcon)
consisting of precised navigation and air-to-ground modes including Monopulse
Ground Mapping (MGM), Doppler Beam Sharpening (DBS), high resolution
synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), Terrain Avoidance/Terrain Following (TA/TF),
skin paint (for Station KEeping; SKE), maritime detection, weather/turbulence
detection, wind shear alert, and ballistic wind measurement (for precision
airdrop)

Motorola (now General Dynamics) AN/APQ-150 Beacon Tracking Radar (BTR) –
side-looking radar designed to search, acquire, and track ground beacon signal
(X-band transponder) located at a friendly position from 10 nautical miles,
beacon coordinate is used as a reference point for ground troop to give the
gunship a bearing and range from the beacon to the desired target (mounted
between 40 mm cannon and 105 mm howitzer)

Cubic Corporation AN/ARS-6 Personnel Locator System (PLS) – radio navigation set

Raytheon AN/AAQ-26 Infrared Detecting Set (IDS) – long-wave infrared (LWIR) band
Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) (mounted forward of the nose landing gear door)

General Electric (now Lockheed Martin) AN/ASQ-145 Low Light Level Television
(LLLTV) – EO fire control system consists of television camera (CCD-TV),
AN/AVQ-19 Laser Target Designator/Ranger (LTD/R – 1064 nm laser emitter with
permanently preset PRF code) with eyesafe mode (1570 nm laser emitter), AN/AAT-3
Ambient Temperature Illuminator (ATI – wide beam 860 nm laser illuminator), and
Infrared Zoom Laser Illuminator Designator (IZLID – airborne version of 860 nm
narrow beam laser pointer/marker and illuminator AN/PEQ-18) (mounted in the crew
entrance door)

Navigation systems: Teledyne Ryan (now Northrop Grumman) AN/APN-218 radar –
doppler navigation radar

Previously installed systems: AN/APN-59 radar – search and weather radar

AC-130U Spooky II

Mission systems:
Raytheon AN/APQ-180 multimode attack radar – enhanced version of AN/APG-70 radar
(used on F-15E Strike Eagle) incorporating several enhanced air-to-ground modes
such as fixed target track, ground moving target indication and track,
projectile impact point position, beacon track, and a weather detection

Raytheon AN/AAQ-26 IDS – LWIR FLIR (mounted on port side of the nose landing
gear door)

Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-39 Gunship Multispectral Sensor System (GMS2) – EO/IR
fire control system consists of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) FLIR, two
Image-Intensified Television (I2TV) cameras (CCD-TV), laser target
designator/rangefinder with eyesafe mode (1064 and 1570 nm dual mode laser
emitter), and near-infrared (NIR) laser pointer/marker (860 nm laser emitter)
(mounted under the nose of port landing gear sponson)

Previously installed systems: GEC-Marconi All Light Level Television (ALLTV) –
EO fire control systems consists of CCD-TV, Laser Target Designator/Range Finder
(LTD/RF – 1064 nm laser emitter with in-flight programmable PRF code) with
eyesafe mode (1570 nm laser emitter), and Laser Illuminator Assembly (LIA – 860
nm laser emitter)

Countermeasures:

Raytheon AN/ALR-69 – digital Radar warning receiver (RWR)

L-3 Communications AN/AAR-44 – UV-based Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS)

ITT Exelis AN/ALQ-172 – Digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jammer-based
Electronic countermeasure (ECM) incorporating integrated Electronic Warfare (EW)
self-protection function of detection, processing, warning, prioritization,
jamming, and threat display

BAE Systems AN/ALQ-196 Low-Band Jammer (LBJ) – low frequency DRFM jammer-based
ECM

Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis – laser-based Directional Infrared Counter
Measures (DIRCM) (mounted on the port and starboard rear fuselage)

BAE Systems AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispensing System (CMDS) – chaff/flare
dispenser






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