This aircraft has some of the deadliest firepower ever strapped to the side of an aircraft, and it packs a punch. There have been many variations, and each is operated to fulfill specific combat functions. Throughout the Vietnam War, AC-130s took out over 10,000 trucks. The early iterations were retired from service to make way for the modern AC-130, which utilizes many of the features of its predecessors with enhanced weapons systems and equipment. The AC-130J Ghostrider entered service in July 2019, with 37 in inventory by 2024.
The AC-130J Ghostrider has a precision strike package with multiple armaments. They feature 30mm and 105mm cannons, which can fire directly onto a target. The aircraft also hosts various standoff precision-guided munitions, including the GBU-30 Small Diameter Bomb, the GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, the AGM-176 Griffin missile, and the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, all of which ensure the Ghostrider can strike targets of all kinds.
The aircraft’s 105mm gun is a howitzer-sized weapon usually mounted on light tanks, so it’s more than capable of destroying armor on the battlefield. However, the U.S. Air Force is considering removing these from future versions of the gunship as future campaigns may not need them.
