Air International 2020-01
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K.Chapman - Going for Guns /Military/
Two AC-130U Spooky gunships of the 4th Special Operations Squadron return from their final scheduled combat deployment at Hurlburt Field, Florida, on June 8, 2019.
Lt Col Tracey Iverson is the commander of the 73rd Special Operations Squadron, the first AC-130J Ghostrider gunship squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
An AC-130J Ghostrider, assigned to the 73rd SOS, takes off into warm evening skies at Hurlburt Field in September 2019.
This shot nicely displays the general configuration of the AC-130J. Note the wing hardpoints for stores and the holes in the rear cargo ramp for the deployment of munitions.
A special missions aviator with the 1st SOG Det 2 inspects the wing of an AC-130J Ghostrider during a pre-flight inspection at Hurlburt Field under foggy conditions.
Air Commandos from the 73rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit perform a post-flight inspection on AC-130J (serial: 13-5783 Aces High) at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in July 2019.
Aerial gunners MSgt James Knight (left) and SSgt Rob Turner perform a pre-flight inspection of the 30mm ATK GAU-23/A.
An AC-130J Ghostrider drops wing-mounted GBU-39/B GPS-guided Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) during testing at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, in 2016.
The AC-130J is based on the vanilla MC-130J with the addition of the mission equipment and weaponry.
Pilots Maj Jason Fox (left) and Maj Brian Pesta from the 1st SOG, at the controls of an AC-130J Ghostrider in July 2015.
A rack of 105mm training rounds in storage at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in 2018. Ordinance for the AC-130 is managed by munitions systems technicians with the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron.
A special missions aviator monitors the 30mm cannon aboard AC-130J Angry Annie during a training mission over Eglin Range, Florida, in January 2017. The 30mm ATK GAU-23/A can fire up to 200 rounds per minute.
Loading the 105mm M102 howitzer aboard AC-130J Angry Annie during a training mission over Eglin Range in January 2017. The howitzer fires shells weighing 50lbs, which contain more than 32lbs of explosives.
A rendering showing the proposed stabilised laser-weapon concept, which is currently being developed for future AC-130J use.