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| Lockheed
AC-130
Spectre Gunship |
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The
Lockheed C-130 Hercules went into production at the Lockheed
Aircraft Co. in Marietta, Ga., in 1953. It was the
original prototype of what was to become a long line of
aircraft, ones still in use today. During the mid
1960's, some of these cargo planes were converted into attack
planes. Designated the AC-130H Spectre gunship's primary
missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed
reconnaissance. These heavily armed aircraft
incorporate side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated
sensor, navigation and fire control systems to provide surgical
firepower or area saturation during extended periods, at night
and in adverse weather.
During Vietnam, they destroyed more than
10,000 trucks and were credited with many life-saving close air
support missions. During Operation Desert Storm, Spectres
provided air base defense and close air support for ground
forces. AC-130s were also used during Operations Continue Hope
and United Shield in Somalia, providing close air support for
United Nations ground forces. They have most recently played a
pivotal role during operations in support of the NATO mission in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, providing air interdiction against key
targets in the Sarajevo area.
The currently used version is the AC-130U
Spooky. It is the most complex aircraft weapon system in
the world today. It has more than 609,000 lines of software code
in its mission computers and avionics systems.
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