Lockheed AC-130 Gunship.docx

Lockheed AC-130 AC-130 Spectre / Spooky / Stinger II

AC-130H Spectre gunship deploys flares in 2007 Role Manufacturer First flight Introduction Retired Status Primary user Number built Unit cost Developed from

Fixed-wing Ground-attack and close air support gunship Lockheed and Boeing AC-130A: 1966 AC-130A: 1968 AC-130A: 1995 In service United States Air Force 47 (in all variants) AC-130H: US$132.4 million AC-130U: US$190 million (2002) Lockheed C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. The AC-130A Gunship II superseded the AC-47 Gunship I during the Vietnam War. The gunship's sole user is the United States Air Force, which uses AC-130H Spectre, AC-130U Spooky, andAC-130W Stinger II variants for close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and flying 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-130Hs and AC-130Ws are based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. The AC-130s deploy to bases worldwide in support of operations. The gunship squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

All of the weaponry aboard is mounted to fire from the left (port) side of the non-pressurized aircraft. During an attack the gunship performs a pylon turn, flying in a large circle around the target, allowing it to fire at it far longer than a conventional attack aircraft. The AC-130H "Spectre" was armed with two 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannons, one Bofors 40mm autocannon, and one 105 mm M102 cannon, although on most missions after 1994 the 20mm cannons were removed due to their incompatibility with precision targeting and to carry more 40mm and 105mm ammunition. The upgraded AC-130U "Spooky" has a single 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer in place of the Spectre's twin 20 mm cannons, an improved fire control system, and increased ammunition capacity. New AC-130J gunships based on MC-130J Combat Shadow II special operations tankers were planned as of 2012. The AC-130W is armed with one 30mm Bushmaster Cannon. Development Origins 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.

AC-130H Spectre near Hurlburt Field, Florida in 1988 In 1967, JC-130A USAF 54-1626 was selected for conversion into the prototype AC-130A gunship (Project Gunship II). The modifications were done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base by the Aeronautical Systems Division. A direct view night vision telescope was installed in the forward door, an early forward looking infrared (FLIR) in the forward part of the left wheel well, and Gatling guns fixed facing down and aft along the left side. The analog fire control computer prototype was handcrafted by RAF Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton at the USAF Avionics Laboratory at WrightPatterson AFB. Flight testing of the prototype was performed primarily at Eglin Air Force Base, followed by further testing and modifications. By September 1967, the aircraft was certified ready for combat testing and was flown to Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam for a 90 day test program. The AC-130 was later supplemented by the AC-119 Shadow (Project Gunship III), which later proved to be underpowered.

An AC-130U firing flares Seven more warplanes were converted to the "Plain Jane" configuration like the AC-130 prototype in 1968, and one aircraft received the "Surprise Package" equipment in 1969. Surprise Package included the latest 20 mm rotary cannons and 40 mm Bofors cannon but no 7.62 mm close support armament. Surprise Package served as a test bed for the avionic systems and armament for the AC-130E. In 1970, ten more AC-130As were acquired under the "Pave Pronto" project. In the summer of 1971, Surprise Package equipped AC-130s were converted to the Pave Pronto configuration and assumed their new nickname 'Thor'. Conversion of C-130Es into AC-130Es for the "PAVE Spectre" project followed. Regardless of their project names the aircraft were more commonly referred to by the squadron's call sign 'Spectre'. Recent and planned upgrades In 2007, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) initiated a program to upgrade the armament of AC-130s. The test program planned for the 25 mm GAU-12/U and 40 mm Bofors cannon on the AC-130U gunships to be replaced with two 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannon. In 2007, the Air Force modified four AC-130U gunships as test platforms for the Bushmasters. These were referred to as AC-130U Plus 4 or AC-130U+4. AFSOC, however, canceled its plans to install the new cannons on its fleet of AC-130Us. It has since removed the guns and re-installed the original 40 mm and 25mm cannons and returned the planes to combat duty. Brigadier General Bradley A. Heithold, AFSOC's director of plans, programs, requirements, and assessments, said on 11 August 2008 that the effort was canceled because of problems with the Bushmaster's accuracy in tests "at the altitude we were employing it". There were also schedule considerations that drove the decision, he said. There are also plans to possibly replace the 105 mm cannon with a breech-loading 120 mm M120 mortar, and to give the AC-130 a standoff capability using either the AGM-114 Hellfire missile, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (based on the Hydra 70 rocket), or the Viper Strike glide bomb. The Air Force awarded L-3 Communications a $61 million contract to add weapons packages to eight MC-130W Combat Spear special-mission aircraft to give them a gunship-like attack capability. L-3 will provide weapons kits, named "precision strike packages", for installation on the aircraft at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Georgia. MC-130Ws fitted with the weapons will be known as Dragon Spears. Air Force Special Operations Command is arming these aircraft to relieve the high operational demands on its regular AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter the fleet. The MC-130W Dragon Spear was renamed the AC-130W Stinger II in 2011.

AC-130U armed with two 30mm Bushmasters, 2007 The Air Force launched an initiative in 2011 to acquire 16 new gunships based on new-built MC-130J Combat Shadow II special operations tankers outfitted with a "precision strike package" to give them an attack capability. The Air Force is requesting $1.6 billion from Fiscal 2011 through 2015 for this recapitalization. These aircraft would increase the size of the Air Force's gunship fleet to 33 aircraft, a net increase of eight after the planned retirement of eight aging AC-130Hs. The first aircraft would be bought in Fiscal 2012, followed by two in Fiscal 2013, five in Fiscal 2014, and the final eight in Fiscal 2015. The decision to stick with the C-130s to fill the need came after funding to acquire 16 C-27Js was removed from the fiscal 2010 budget. The AC-130J will follow the path of the Dragon Spear program, along lines generally similar to the USMC Harvest HAWK program. Design Overview The AC-130 is a heavily-armed long-endurance aircraft carrying an array of anti-ground orientated weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire control systems. It is capable of delivering precision firepower or area-saturation fire over a target area over a long period of time, at night or in adverse weather. The sensor suite consists of a television sensor, infrared sensor, and radar. These sensors allow the gunship to visually or electronically identify friendly ground forces and targets in most weather conditions. The AC-130U is equipped with the AN/APQ-180, a synthetic aperture radar for long-range target detection and identification. The gunship's navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and a Global Positioning System. The AC-130U employs technologies developed in the 1990s which allow it to attack two targets simultaneously. It has twice the munitions capacity of the AC-130H. Although the AC-130U conducts some operations in daylight, most of its combat missions are conducted at night. The AC-130H's unit cost is US$132.4 million, and the AC-130U's cost is US$190 million (fiscal 2001 dollars).

Underside of an AC-130U Spooky Upgrades

AC-130U sensor suite During the Vietnam era, the various AC-130 versions following the Pave Pronto modifications were equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) system called the Black Crow (AN/ASD-5), a highly sensitive passive device with a phased-array antenna located in the left-front nose radome that could pick up localized deviations in earth's magnetic field that is normally used to detect submerged submarines. The Black Crow system was slaved into the targeting computers of the AC-130A/E/H, enabling the detection of the unshielded ignition coils of North Vietnamese trucks hidden under dense jungle foliage, typical along the Ho Chi Minh trail. It could also detect hand-held transmitter signals of air controllers on the ground to identify and locate targets.

The PGM-38/U Enhanced 25 mm High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) round was created to expand the AC-130U gunships' mission in standoff range and survivability for its 25 mm GAU-12/U gun system. This round is a combination of the existing PGU-25 HEI and a M758 fuse designated as FMU151/B to meet the MIL-STD-1316. The FMU-151 has an improved arming delay with multi-sensitive range. Operational history Vietnam War The AC-130 gunship first arrived in South Vietnam on 21 September 1967 under the Gunship II program and began combat operations over Laos and South Vietnam that year. In June 1968, AC-130s were deployed to Tan Son Nhut AB near Saigon for support against the Tet Offensive. By 30 October 1968 enough AC-130 Gunship IIs arrived to form a squadron, the 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. It was at this time that the C-130A gunship was designated the AC-130A. On 18 August 1968, an AC-130 gunship flying an armed reconnaissance mission in Vietnam's III Corps was diverted to support a Special Forces base at Katum. The ground commander quickly assessed the accurate fire and capabilities of this weapon system and called for fire on his own perimeter when the Viet Cong attempted to bridge the wire on the west side of his position. By December 1968 most AC-130s were flown under F-4 Phantom II escort (to protect the gunship against heavy and concentrated AAA fire) from the 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron, normally three Phantoms per Gunship. In late 1969, under the code name of "Surprise Package", 56-0490 arrived with solid-state laser-illuminated low-light-level-TV with a companion YAG laser designator, an improved forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, video recording for TV and FLIR, an inertial navigation system, and a prototype digital fire control computer. The remaining AC-130s were refitted with upgraded similar equipment in the summer of 1970, and then redeployed to Ubon RTAFB. On 25 October 1971, the first "Cadillac" gunship, the AC-130E arrived in Vietnam. On 17 February 1972, the first 105mm cannon arrived for service with Spectre and was installed on Gunship 570. It was used from mid-February until the aircraft received battle damage to its right flap. The 105 was switched to Gunship 571 and was used until 30 March when the aircraft was shot down. On 28 January 1973, the Vietnam peace accord went into effect, marking the end of Spectre operations in Vietnam. Spectre was still needed and active in the region, supporting operations in Laos and Cambodia. On 22 February 1973, American offensive operations in Laos ended and the gunships became totally committed to operations in the Cambodian conflict. On 12 April 1975 Khmer Rouge were threatening the capital of Phnom Penh and AC-130s were called upon to help in Operation EAGLE PULL, the final evacuation of American and allied officials from Phnom Penh before it fell to the communists. The AC-130 was also over Saigon 30 April 1975 to protect the final evacuation in Operation FREQUENT WIND. When the SS Mayaguez was seized by Khmer Rouge soldiers and sailors on 15 May 1975, on the open sea, Spectres were called upon. AC-130s destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and participated in many crucial close air support missions in Vietnam. Six Spectres and 52 aircrew members were lost to enemy fire. On 24 May 1969, Spectre lost its first gunship. Cold War and later actions With the conclusion of hostilities in Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s, the AC-130H became the sole gunship in the regular Air Force, home based at Hurlburt Field, Florida, while the AC-130A fleet was transferred to the Air Force Reserve's 919th Tactical Airlift Group (919 TAG) at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3/Duke Field, Florida. With the transition to the AC-130A, the 919 TAG was then redesignated as the 919th Special Operations Group (919 SOG). In the late 1970s when the AC-130H fleet was first being modified for in-flight refueling capability, a demonstration mission was planned and flown from Hurlburt Field, Florida, non-stop, to conduct a 2-hour live-fire mission over Empire Firing Range in the Republic of Panama, then return home. This 13-hour mission with two in-flight refuelings from KC-135 tankers proved the validity of flying long-range missions outside the contiguous United States to attack targets then return to home base without intermediate stops. AC-130s from both the 4th and 16th Special Operations Squadrons have been deployed in nearly every conflict the United States has been involved in, officially and unofficially, since the end of the Vietnam War. In July 1979, AC-130H crews deployed to Howard Air Force Base, Panama, as a precaution against possible hostile actions against American personnel during the Nicaraguan Revolution. New time aloft and non-stop distance records were subsequently set by a 16th SOS 2-ship AC-130H formation flight that departed Hurlburt Field on 13 November 1979 and landed on 15 November at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, a distance of 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) and 29 hours 43 minutes non-stop, refueling four times in-flight. Refueling support for the Guam deployment was provided by KC-135 crews from the 305th Air Refueling Wing from Grissom AFB, Indiana.

In November 1979, four AC-130H gunships flew nonstop from Hurlburt Field to Anderson AFB, Guam, because of the hostage situation at the Embassy in Iran. At Guam, AC-130H crews developed communications-out/lights-out refueling procedures for later employment by trial-and-error. This deployment with the 1 SOW/CC as Task Force commander was directed from the office of the CJCS for fear that Iranian militants could begin executing American Embassy personnel who had been taken hostage on 4 November. One early option considered AC-130H retaliatory punitive strikes deep within Iran. Later gunship flights exceeded the 1979 Hurlburt-to-Guam flight. Upon return in March 1980, the four planes soon found themselves in Egypt to support the ill-fated hostage rescue attempt.

AC-130A performs a left-hand pylon turn During Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983, AC-130s suppressed enemy air defense systems and attacked ground forces enabling the assault of the Point Salines Airfield via airdrop and air-land of friendly forces. The AC-130 aircrew earned the Lieutenant General William H. Tunner Award for the mission. The AC-130s maintained an ongoing rotation to Howard AB, monitoring activities in El Salvador and other Central American points of interest. This commitment of Maintainers and crews started in 1983 and lasted until 1990. The AC-130 is considered to have hastened the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s. Crews flew undercover missions from Honduras and attacked guerrilla camps and concentrations. AC-130s also had a primary role during the United States invasion of Panama (named Operation Just Cause) 1989 when they destroyed Panama Defense Force headquarters and numerous command-and-control facilities, and provided close air support for U.S. ground troops. Aircrews earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the Tunner Award. Persian Gulf War and the 1990s During the Gulf War of 1990–91 (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), Regular Air Force and Air Force Reserve AC-130s provided close air support and force protection (air base defense) for ground forces, and battlefield interdiction. The primary interdiction targets were early warning/ground control intercept (EW/GCI) sites along the southern border of Iraq. The first gunship to enter the Battle of Khafji helped stop a southbound Iraqi armored column on 29 January 1991. One day later three more gunships provided further aid to Marines participating in the operation. The gunships attacked Iraqi positions and columns moving south to reinforce their positions north of the city.

Smoke visible from Gatling gun during twilight operations in 1988 Despite the threat of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and increasing visibility during the early morning hours of 31 January 1991, one AC-130H, AF Serial No. 69-6567, call-sign Spirit 03, opted to stay to continue to protect the Marines. A lone Iraqi with a Strela-2 MANPAD shot Spirit 03 down, and all 14 crew members died. The military has used AC-130 gunships during the humanitarian operations in Somalia (Operation Restore Hope and Operation United Shield) in 1992–93,Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. AC-130s took part in Operation Assured Response in Liberia in 1996 and in Operation Silver Wake in 1997, the evacuation of American non-combatants from Albania. AC-130s took part in the NATO missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo during the 1990s.

Weapons fire during a night mission The AC-130U gunship set a new record for the longest sustained flight by any C-130 on 22 and 23 October 1997, when two AC-130U gunships flew 36 hours nonstop from Hurlburt Field, Florida to Taegu Air Base (Daegu), South Korea, being refueled seven times in the air by KC-135 tankers. The two gunships took on 410,000 lb (186,000 kg) of fuel. Gunships also were part of the buildup of U.S. forces in 1998 to compel Iraq to allow UNSCOM weapons inspections. Operations since 2001 The United States used gunships during War in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) in Afghanistan (2001– ), and Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in Iraq (2003–2010). In 2007, U.S. Special Operations forces also used the AC-130 in attacks on suspected al-Qaeda militants in Somalia. Close air support was the main mission of the AC–130 in Iraq. Night after night, at least one AC–130 was in the air to fulfill one or more air support requests (ASRs). A typical mission had the AC–130 supporting a single brigade’s ASRs followed by aerial refueling and another 2 hours with another brigade or SOF team. The use of AC-130s in places like Fallujah, urban settings where insurgents were among crowded populations of non combatants, was criticized by human rights groups. AC-130s were also used for intelligence gathering with their sophisticated long-range video, infrared and radar sensors. AC-130 strikes were directed by special forces on known Taliban locations during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. U.S. Special Operations Forces are using the AC-130 to support its operations. The day after arriving in Afghanistan, the AC-130s attacked Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces near the city of Konduz and was directly responsible for the city's surrender the next day. On 26 November 2001, AC-130 Spectres were called in to put down a rebellion at the prison fort of Qual-a-Jinga. The 16 SOS flew missions over Mazar-E-Shariff, Konduz, Kandahar, Shkin, Asadabad, Bagram, Baghran, Tora Bora, and virtually every other part of Afghanistan. Spectre participated in countless operations within Afghanistan, performing on-call close air support and armed reconnaissance. In March 2002, three AC-130 Spectres provided 39 crucial combat missions in support of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. During the intense fighting, the planes expended more than 1,300 40mm and 1,200 105 mm rounds. There are eight AC-130H and seventeen AC-130U aircraft in active-duty service as of July 2010.

In March 2011, the U.S. Air Force deployed two AC-130U gunships to take part in Operation Odyssey Dawn, the U.S. military intervention in Libya, which eventually came under NATO as Operation Unified Protector. Variants AC-130A Spectre (Project Gunship II, Surprise Package, Pave Pronto) Nineteen converted from C-130As, transferred to Air Force Reserve in 1975, retired in 1995. AC-130E Spectre (Pave Spectre, Pave Aegis) Eleven converted from C-130Es, ten upgraded to AC-130H configuration. AC-130H Spectre Eight operational (active duty USAF) AC-130U Spooky II Seventeen operational with (active duty USAF) AC-130J Sixteen planned to replace AC-130H and increase fleet size. AC-130W Stinger II (MC-130W Dragon Spear) 12 aircraft. Operators

AC-130U over Hurlburt Field United States: 

United States Air Force o Air Force Special Operations Command  1st Special Operations Wing  4th Special Operations Squadron  19th Special Operations Squadron  27th Special Operations Wing

  

16th Special Operations Squadron 73rd Special Operations Squadron 551st Special Operations Squadron

Aircraft on display One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to Vietnam was AF Serial No. 53-3129, named First Lady in November 1970. In addition to being the first AC-130, this aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. On 25 March 1971, it took an anti-aircraft artillery hit in the belly just aft of the nose gear wheel well over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. The 37 mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck and barely missed striking two crew members. In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the Air Force Reserve, where it served with the 711th Special Operations Squadron of the 919th Special Operations Wing. In 1980 the aircraft was upgraded from the original threebladed propellers to the quieter four-bladed propellers and was eventually retired in late 1995. The retirement also marked an end to the Air Force Reserve Command flying the AC-130A. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings, the four-bladed Hamilton Sunstrand 54H60-91 props at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA. A second AC-130A, AF Serial No. 56-0509, named the Ultimate End, was accepted by the Air Force on 28 February 1957, and modified to the AC130A configuration on 27 July 1970. The aircraft participated in the Vietnam War and the rescue of the SS Mayaguez. Ultimate End demonstrated the durability of the C-130 after surviving hits in five places by 37 mm anti-aircraft artillery on 12 December 1970, extensive left wing leading edge damage on 12 April 1971 and a 57 mm round damaging the belly and injuring one crewman on 4 March 1972. "Ultimate End" was reassigned to the Air Force Reserve's 919th Special Operations Wing at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No.3 / Duke Field on 17 June 1975, where it continued in service until retired in the fall 1994 and transferred to Air Force Special Operations Command's Heritage Air Park at Hurlburt Field, Florida. While assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron, Ultimate End served in Operations JUST CAUSE in Panama, DESERT STORM in Kuwait and Iraq, and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti. After 36 years and seven months of service, 24 years as a gunship, Ultimate End retired from active service on 1 October 1994. It made its last flight from Duke Field to Hurlburt Field on 20 October 1994. The Spectre Association dedicated "Ultimate End" (which served with the 16 SOS in Vietnam) on 4 May 1995. Lt Col Michael Byers, then 16 SOS commander, represented the active-duty gunship force and Clyde Gowdy of the Spectre Association represented all Spectre personnel past and present for the unveiling of a monument at the aircraft and the dedication as a whole.

130A AF Serial No. 53-3129 at the USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida

Nose art on AC-

A third AC-130A, AF Serial No. 54-1630, is on display in the Cold War Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at WrightPatterson AFB, Ohio. Named Azrael (Azrael, in the Koran, is the angel of death who severs the soul from the body), this aircraft figured prominently in the closing hours of Operation Desert Storm. On 26 February 1991, Coalition ground forces were driving the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. With an Air Force Reserve crew called to active duty, Azrael was sent to the Al Jahra highway (Highway 80) between Kuwait City and Basra, Iraq, to intercept the convoys of tanks, trucks, buses, and cars fleeing the battle. Facing SA-6 and SA-8 surface-to-air missiles and 37 mm and 57 mm radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery the crew attacked and destroyed or disabled most of the convoys. Azrael was also assigned to the 919th Special Operations Wing and retired to the museum in October 1995. Another AC-130A, AF Serial No. 54-1626, the original prototype AC-130 named "Gunship II" is on display at the outdoor Air Park at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. AC-130A USAF 54-1623, c/n 3010, named "Ghost Rider" served in Southeast Asia and later conflicts until being retired in 1997 to Dobbins AFB, Georgia. The Ghost Rider eventually was transferred and displayed at the Lockheed Museum at Marietta, Georgia. AC-130A USAF 54-1626, c/n 3013 served in Southeast Asia during 1967–1972, then to JC-130A test configuration. The ship was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio in 1976, and converted back to AC-130A configuration in late 1990s. Specifications

AC-130U Spooky General characteristics        

Crew: 13 o Officers: 5 (pilot, copilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer) o 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

cannon (background) and 105 mm cannon (foreground)

AC-130H Spectre over Santa Rosa Island, Northwest Florida coast. AC-130A Project Gunship II 

4× 7.62 mm GAU-2/A miniguns

Gunners loading 40 mm

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4× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barrel Gatling cannon

AC-130A Surprise Package, Pave Pronto, AC-130E Pave Spectre   

2× 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 Aegis   

2× 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× 40 mm (1.58 in) L/60 Bofors cannon 1× 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer

AC-130U Spooky II   

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-130W Stinger II   

1x 30 mm ATK GAU-23/A autocannon 'Gunslinger' weapons system with launch tube for AGM-175 Griffin missiles and/or GBU-44/B Viper Strike munitions (10 round magazines) Wing mounted GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and/or GBU-53/B SDB IIs (4 per hardpoint on BRU-61/A rack)

Gunship II Mission The Lockheed AC-130H/U is a fixed-wing, side-firing aerial gunship that provides close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. Secondary missions include armed reconnaissance, forward air control, limited command and control, and combat search and rescue. Background During the 1950s, the C-130 Hercules was originally designed as an assault transport but was readily adapted for a variety of missions, including weather reconnaissance, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue, drone launching, and mid-air refueling of helicopters. The AC-130H "Spectre" and AC-130U "Spooky II" are Hercules transports that have been converted into side-firing gunships, primarily for night attacks against ground targets. Originally, C-130As were converted into side-firing gunships during Project Gunship II and the follow-on programs, Projects Plain Jane, Surprise Package and Pave Pronto. The prototype AC-130A (#54-1626), previously designated JC-130A, was tested at Eglin AFB, FL and in Southeast Asia during 1967. A short-nose Hercules, it was a basic C-130A with the addition of four 7.62mm General Electric XMU-470 Miniguns, four 20mm General Electric M61 Vulcan cannons, an analog fire control computer, a Night Observation Device (NOD) or Starlite Scope, a "bread board" computer, and a 20kW searchlight. Project Gunship II was a great success. In 1968, seven more JC-130A aircraft were converted, although these were equipped with better Texas Instruments AN/AAD-4 Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), a Singer-General Precision fire control computer, a Texas Instruments Moving Target Indicator (MTI), and other equipment to reach current C-130A production standard. These aircraft were deployed to Southeast Asia in late-1968. They were painted black overall and also known as "Plain Janes", to distinguish them from the "Surprise Package" and "Pave Pronto" AC-130As. The single "Surprise Package" AC-130A was equipped with two 40mm Bofors cannons (in place of the aft pair of 20mm Vulcans), General Electric ASQ-145 Low-Level Light Television (LLLTV), a Konrad AVQ-18 laser designator/rangefinder, and a new AYK-9 digital fire control computer. This gunship conversion was an even greater success than those before it! The "Pave Pronto" AC-130As were all based on the "Surprise Package" design, but featured additional equipment including an AN/ASD-5 Black Crow Direction Finder Set to find the emissions of the ignition system of Russian truck engines. These ten aircraft were first painted in the typical Vietnam three-tone camouflage scheme, but later the underside and the sides were painted black. All AC-130As often carried ALQ-87 ECM pods or SUU-42A/A Ejector Pods (starboard for flares, port for chaff) under the wings. Because of C-130A airframe limitations, a new program was incorporated using the low-time C-130E as the basis for the gunship conversion. Eleven C-130Es were converted featuring the same equipment and armament as the "Pave Pronto" AC-130A, and become known as the "Pave Spectre" AC-130E. The first aircraft arrived in Southeast Asia in October 1971. Beginning in 1973, Project Pave Spectre II upgraded all but one of the AC-130Es with new Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, the latest radio, avionics and ECM gear, a 105mm Howitzer cannon and inflight refueling capability. These aircraft were redesignated AC-130H. Over a decade later, in 1986, another Hercules gunship program was initiated. Thirteen new C-130H aircraft were procured from Lockheed then modified with improved armament, avionics, battle management sensors and countermeasures. The resulting gunship aircraft was designated AC130U and entered service in 1995. On 10 September 1995, the Air Force commemorated the end of an era with the retirement of the first C-130 aircraft to come off the production line, tail number 53-3129. Produced by Lockheed in 1953, it was affectionately dubbed the "First Lady", and was one of five AC-130A gunship aircraft retired during an official ceremony. While the other four aircraft were sent to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the "First Lady" went on permanent display at the Eglin AFB Armament Museum in Florida. Note: The AC130A gunship prototype (#54-1626) was retired in 1976 and is currently on display at the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. A total of 43 C-130 aircraft were converted into gunships: Model

Count

Description

AC-130A

1

JC-130A aircraft converted under the Project Gunship II program. (Prototype)

AC-130A

7

JC-130A aircraft converted under the Project Plain Jane program.

AC-130A

1

C-130A aircraft converted under the Project Surprise Package program.

AC-130A

10

C-130A aircraft converted under the Project Pave Pronto program.

AC-130E

11

C-130E aircraft converted under the Project Pave Spectre program.

AC-130H

10

AC-130E aircraft upgraded under the Project Pave Spectre II program.

AC-130U

13

New C-130H conversion, known as the "U-Boat".

Combat History The formidable AC-130 gunships have an impressive combat history. During Vietnam, they destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many life-saving close air support missions. Following the end of the Vietnam War they saw action during the attempted rescue of the crew of the USS Mayaguez (1975), Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada (1983), Operation Just Cause in Panama (1989), Operation Desert Storm in Iraq (1991), Operation Restore Hope in Somalia (1993-1994), and Operation Deliberate Force in Bosnia (1995). Although the AC-130 gunship programs were considered highly successful, the slow-moving airplane was very susceptible to ground fire. Consequently, eight AC-130s have been lost during combat operations. The first casualty took place when tail number 54-1629 was hit over Laos and crashed during a landing attempt at Ubon, Thailand. A second AC-130 fell to enemy fire over Laos in April 1970. The third and fourth losses took place within hours of each other in the spring of 1972, and a fifth was shot down a few weeks later while supporting friendly forces during the siege of An Loc in South Vietnam. A sixth gunship was shot down over Laos in December 1972. A total of 75 crewmembers were lost in the AC-130 mission in Southeast Asia, before hostilities ended in 1975. Since that time two other AC-130s have fallen in both Kuwait and Somalia. On 31 January 1991, the first AC-130H was lost in combat while supporting coalition forces engaged in ground combat during the battle of Khafji in Operation Desert Storm. A second aircraft supporting operations in Somalia was lost on 15 March 1994 when the 105mm cannon exploded while the aircraft was airborne. The eight remaining AC-130H "Spectre" gunships are still flying with the 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS), part of the 16th Special Operations Wing (SOW), at Hurlburt Field, Florida. AC-130U 'Spooky II' The AC-130U, commonly referred to as "U-Boat", is the most complex aircraft weapons system in the world today. It has more than 609,000 lines of software code in its mission computers and avionics systems. The newest addition to the command fleet, it is the latest in a long line of heavilyarmed, side-firing gunships and is named "Spooky II" in honor of the first gunship model, the AC-47D. All other AC-130s are referred to as "Spectre". The prototype AC-130U (#87-0128) made its first flight on 20 December 1990. The initial flight test period lasted through 21 December 1991 and consisted of 48 test flights, a total of 165 hours. The "Spooky II" gunship program consists of 13 new Lockheed C-130H airframes modified by Boeing with improved armament, advanced sensors, a Hughes APG-180 fire control radar system, GPS, the ALQ-172 Electronic Countermeasure System, an ALR-56M radar warning receiver, an APR46A panoramic receiver, and an AAR-44 infrared warning receiver integrated with a series of ALE-40 chaff & flare dispensers. The modifications allow the aircraft to perform the full range of special operations and conventional gunship missions, at night and in adverse weather. These aircraft also have the capability to loiter for long periods over targets, while providing precision fire support. A multi-mode strike radar provides extreme long-range target detection and identification. It is able to track 40mm and 105mm projectiles and return pinpoint impact locations to the crew for subsequent adjustment to the target. The fire control system offers a Dual Target Attack capability, whereby two targets up to one kilometer apart can be simultaneously engaged by two different sensors, using two different guns. No other air-ground attack platform in the world offers this capability. Targeting equipment installed in the gunship includes an advanced All-Light Level Television (ALLTV) system with a laser illuminator, laser target designator, laser range finder, infrared detection set, and night vision goggles for the pilots. Navigational devices include the inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS). The side-firing weapons array consists of one 25mm GAU-12 Gatling gun (firing 1,800 rounds per minute), one 40mm L60 Bofors cannon (with a selectable firing rate of single shot or 120 rounds per minute) and one 105mm M-102 Howitzer cannon (firing 6 to 10 rounds per minute). Defensive systems include a countermeasures dispensing system that releases chaff and flares to counter radar infrared-guided antiaircraft missiles. Also, infrared heat shields mounted underneath the engines disperse and hide engine heat sources from infrared-guided antiaircraft missiles.

The AC-130U is pressurized, enabling it to fly at higher altitudes, saving fuel and time, and allowing for greater range than the AC-130H. An inflight refueling capability is also provided. All AC-130Us are currently assigned to the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and serve with the 4th SOS, part of the 16th SOW, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Project Name

Aircraft Designation(s)

Project Gunship I

AC-47D (Spooky)

Project Gunship II

AC-130A/E/H/U (Spectre/Spooky II)

Project Gunship III

AC-119G/K (Shadow/Stinger)

Project Black Spot

AC-123K (Black Spot)

Official Designation

AC-130H/U

Primary Role

Close air support, air interdiction, armed reconnaissance

National Origin

USA

Original Contractor

Lockheed Aircraft Corp.

Current Contractor

Boeing North American

Operator

United States Air Force

Wingspan

132 feet, 7 inches (40.4m)

Length

97 feet, 9 inches (29.8m)

Height at Tail

38 feet, 6 inches (11.9m)

Engines

Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops

Horsepower

4,910 shp (3,660kW) per engine

Cruise Speed

300 mph (483km/h)

Operating Weight

72,892 pounds (33,063kg)

Max Takeoff Weight

155,000 pounds (70,308kg)

Official Designation

AC-130H

AC-130U

Unofficial Nicknames Spectre, Spooky

Spooky II, U-Boat

Range

1,300 nautical miles (unlimited with aerial refueling)

2,200 nautical miles (unlimited with aerial refueling)

Service Ceiling

25,000 feet (7,620m)

30,000 feet (9,144m)

Armament

Two M61 20mm Vulcan cannons, one L60 40mm Bofors cannon, one M102 105mm Howitzer cannon

One GAU-12 25mm Gatling gun, one L60 40mm Bofors cannon, one M102 105mm Howitzer cannon

Basic Crew

14 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer, flight engineer, loadmaster, low-light TV operator, infrared-detection set operator, five gunners)

13 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer, flight engineer, loadmaster, low-light TV operator, infrared-detection set operator, four gunners)

Date Deployed

1972

1995

Total in Service

8 aircraft

13 aircraft

These pictures were taken in July 2001 at the Pope Air Force Base (NC) airshow.

Right scanners window. Used to "scan" for enemy ground fire. The scanner is able to fire off chaff and flare for any incoming fire if required.

These picture were taken on 429-2001 at the NAS Norfolk Airshow.

The photos directly below were taken by Robert N.Abbott Jr.

gun

105mm and 40mm

25mm gun

40mm Bofors gun port side

40mm Bofors gun on starboard side

The cockpit.

AC-130 Details

25mm rotary cannon

25mm up close and personal

40mm cannon station.

40mm cannon barrel

Door for the 105mm gun

105mm gun barrel

105mm gun breech

105mm gun assembly, viewed from the side, showing the whole layout.

The three gun systems of the AC-130 shown to effect

aft guns of the AC-130

The

The 40mm cannon and the 105mm gun

The three gun systems viewed from the front quarter.

The crew access door on the front.

Nose Views

Lockheed MC-130 MC-130

MC-130H Combat Talon II Role Manufacturer First flight

Introduction

Status Primary user

Number built

Unit cost Developed from

STOL Special operations military transport aircraft Lockheed Corporation MC-130J: April 2011 MC-130E: 1966 MC-130P: 1986 MC-130H: 1991 MC-130W: 2006 MC-130J: 2012 Active United States Air Force MC-130E: 18 MC-130H: 24 MC-130P: 28 MC-130W: 12 MC-130J: 4 MC-130E $75 million MC-130H $155 million MC-130W $60 million C-130 Hercules C-130J Super Hercules

The Lockheed MC-130 is the basic designation for a family of special mission aircraft operated by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a wing of the Air Education and Training Command, and an AFSOC-gained wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. Based

on the C-130 Hercules transport, their mission is the infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces, and the air refueling of (primarily) special operations helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft. Members of the family include the MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC-130H Combat Talon II, MC-130W Combat/Dragon Spear, MC-130P Combat Shadow, and MC-130J Commando II. A possible MC-130 variant, designated the XFC-130H, did not proceed beyond the development stage, but one of its aircraft became the YMC-130H test bed aircraft for the Combat Talon II. The Air Force is requesting acquisition of at least 37 new production MC-130J aircraft to replace the Combat Talon Is and Combat Shadows, with the first ten received in 2011. A total of 69 MC-130J aircraft are planned, which will eventually replace all other MC-130 variants. The MC-130E was the first Combat Talon and was developed to support clandestine special operations missions during the Vietnam War. Eighteen were created by modifying C-130E transports, and four lost through attrition, but the remainder continues in service more than four decades after their initial modification. An updated Combat Talon II was developed in the 1980s from the C-130H variant of the Hercules and went into service in the 1990s. Four of its 24 original aircraft have been lost in operations. The Combat Spear was implemented in 2006 as a cost effective program to supplement the Combat Talon II force, based on the same airframe. The Combat Shadow is a redesignation of several HC-130s. Initially developed during the Vietnam War for search and rescue operations, 28 were diverted to AFSOC in the 1980s to provide it with organic air refueling assets. MC-130E Combat Talon I

MC-130E Combat Talon dispensing flares Development The Combat Talon was initially developed between December 1964 and January 1967 by Lockheed Air Services (LAS) at Ontario, California, as the result of a study by Big Safari, the USAF's program office responsible for modification and sustainment of special mission aircraft. From it two highly classified test bed aircraft (originally serial no. 64-0506 and -0507, but with all numbers "sanitized" from the aircraft), were assigned to Project Thin Slice to develop a low level clandestine penetration aircraft suitable for Special Forces operations in Southeast Asia. In 1964 Lockheed had modified six C-123B Providers for "unconventional warfare" under Project Duck Hook and then been tasked with adapting the C-130E when the Duck Hook aircraft proved inadequate for the newly-launched MACV-SOG. The modifications under Thin Slice and its August 1966 successor Heavy Chain were code named Rivet Yard, and the four C-130Es came to be known as "Yards". Discrete modification tests were conducted by the 1198th Operational Evaluation and Training Squadron, out of Area II of Norton AFB at San Bernardino, California, 30 miles east of Ontario.

MC-130E Combat Talon I taxis to the runway at RIAT 2010 As the Thin Slice aircraft were being developed, SOG requirements resulted in the procurement of 14 C-130Es in 1965 for similar modification. The first aircraft were production C-130Es without specialized equipment that were produced at Lockheed's facility in Marietta, Georgia. Production airplanes were modified with the installation of the Fulton STARS (then ARS) system, at the rate of three aircraft per month. While awaiting installation of the ARS equipment, the C-130s were ferried to Greenville, South Carolina, for painting by Ling-Temco-Vought Electrosystems with a low-radar reflective paint that added 370 pounds to their weight. The velvet black and green scheme resulted in the aircraft being nicknamed "Blackbirds". As installation was completed, the Blackbirds were returned to Ontario for installation of the electronics package, code-named Rivet Clamp. The aircraft modified became known as "Clamps" (two of the original 14, 64-0564and -0565, were diverted to Heavy Chain in August 1966). The aircraft collectively were assigned the designation Combat Talon in 1967. The Fulton Surface-To-Air Recovery System was used to extract personnel and materials via air. A large helium balloon raised a nylon lift line into the air, which was snagged by a large scissors-shaped yoke attached to the nose of the plane. The yoke snagged the line and released the balloon, yanking the attached cargo off the ground with a shock less than that of an opening parachute. A sky anchor secured the line and wires stretched from the nose to both leading wing tip edges protected the propellers from the line on missed snag attempts. Crew members hooked the snagged line as it trailed behind and attached it to the hydraulic winch, pulling the attached person or cargo into the plane through the rear cargo door. Following a fatality on 26 April 1982, at CFB Lahr, Germany, the Fulton STARS system on the Clamp aircraft underwent intense maintenance scrutiny and employment of the system for live pickups was suspended. A major effort at upgrading the system, Project 46, was pursued from 1986 to 1989, but at its conclusion, use of the STARS system for live extractions remained suspended. The Fulton STARS equipment of all Combat Talons was removed during 1998. Rivet Clamp installation began with four STARS-equipped C-130s completed by March 1966, followed by installations in eight further aircraft in July 1966 and January 1967. The Rivet Clamps, originally designated C-130E(I), were equipped with an electronic and infrared (IR) countermeasures suite; and the AN/APQ-115 navigational radar. This radar, adapted from the Texas Instruments AN/APQ-89 radar used in the RF-4C Phantom photo reconnaissance aircraft, featured terrain following/terrain-avoidance (TF/TA), Doppler, and mapping radar modes, to enable it to operate at low altitudes at night and in all weather conditions and avoid known enemy radar and anti-aircraft weapons concentrations.

Beginning in 1970, Texas Instruments and Lockheed Air Service worked to adapt the existing AN/APQ-122 Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System (AWADS) with terrain following/terrain avoidance modes to replace the original APQ-115, which suffered throughout its life with an unacceptably adverse mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) rate. In 1970 they succeeded, and coupled the APQ-122 with the Litton LN-15J Inertial Navigation System (INS). Known as MOD-70, the modified radar was installed in all 12 operational Combat Talons and the four Heavy Chain test beds between 1971-1973. The system proved so successful that it continued in service until the late 1980s. Following the completion of MOD-70, the Combat Talons were divided into three designations: C-130E(CT) for the "Clamp" aircraft, C-130E(Y) for the "Yank" (formerly "Yard") Talons, and C-130E(S) for the "Swap". The Combat Talon I designations were consolidated in 1977 as the MC-130 and have remained under that designation since. The Combat Talon became the Combat Talon I in 1984 with the authorization for the modification of 24 C-130Hs to Combat Talon II specifications. The "Yank" Talons conducted top secret operations worldwide, under the project name Combat Sam, until late 1972. Two of the original "Clamps" were lost in combat in Southeast Asia and were replaced by two C-130Es (64-0571 and -0572). These remained as Combat Talons until 1972, when Heavy Chain was gradually discontinued and its four "Yank" aircraft were integrated into the Combat Talon force. The two original Thin Slice aircraft were given the serials of two destroyed C-130s, 62-1843 and 63-7785 respectively, to disguise their classified origins. The replacements had their modifications removed and returned to airlift duties, although known as "Swaps", they remained available for future Combat Talon use. Both eventually became Combat Talons again after further losses in the Combat Talon inventory... Capability to act as a Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) for helicopters on the ground was begun in 1980 in preparation for Operation Eagle Claw (see below), although only one system could be installed before the mission was executed. The refueling system consists of two palletized 1,800 gallon tanks (known as Benson tanks) mounted on rails within the Talon that tie into the C-130's own pressurized fuel dumping pumps and require no further equipment. A major modification between 1986 and 1994, MOD-90, modernized the capability and serviceability of the Talon I to extend its service life. All 14 Combat Talon Is with upgraded navigational radars, an enhanced electronic warfare suite and provided new outer wings. By 1995 all Combat Talon Is were equipped with a helicopter-air refueling pods. Southeast Asia operations The aircraft received for modification as Combat Talons were assigned in July 1965 to the 464th Troop Carrier Wing at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. Because of a lack of ramp space caused by the buildup of forces for deployment to South Vietnam, they were temporarily housed at Base, Tennessee. The wing's 779th TCS was designated as the training squadron for the modified C-130E(I)s, under Project Skyhook, in addition to its normal airlift function. Selected crew members received instructor training in their respective systems and returned to Pope by May 1 to begin crew training of six crews for deployment to Vietnam under Project Stray Goose.

15th Special Operations Squadron The Combat Talon I first saw operational action in the Vietnam War, beginning September 1, 1966. The six Stray Goose crews deployed to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, and forward deployed to Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam. The deployment, known as Combat Spear, preceded operational deployment of other Combat Talons to Europe (Combat Arrow) and the United States (Combat Knife). Combat Spear was administratively assigned as Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing, but was operationally controlled by MACV-SOG. On October 9, 2009, Detachment 1, 314th Troop Carrier Wing received the Presidential Unit Citation for its support of MACV-SOG activities. Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Norton A. Schwartz presented the award to the unit during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, culminating a six-year campaign by former Stray Goose member Richard H. Sell to achieve the recognition after the unit was not included in a PUC awarded April 4, 2001, to MACV-SOG for the same period. On March 15, 1968, the detachment was designated the 15th Air Commando Squadron, and then the 15th Special Operations Squadron on August 1, 1968, and made part of the 14th Special Operations Wing. In Vietnam, the aircraft was used to drop leaflets over North Vietnamese positions, and

to insert and resupply special forces and indigenous units into hostile territory throughout Southeast Asia. Combat Talon crews operated unescorted at low altitudes and at night. By 1970 twelve Combat Talons were operational in three units of four aircraft each:   

7th Special Operations Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany; 15th Special Operations Squadron, Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam; and Detachment 2, 1st Special Operations Wing, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, (redesignated 318th SOS in 1971 and 8th SOS in 1974).

The 15th SOS was redesignated the 90th SOS on October 23, 1970, relocated to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, then moved to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in April 1972 as part of the drawdown of U.S. forces in Vietnam. It was again redesignated, becoming the 1st SOS on December 15, 1972, and began transition from the "Clamp" to the "Yank" variant. Kingpin

Mixed formation of helicopters and Combat Talon of the Son Tay rescue operation during a practice mission. Two Combat Talons were employed as navigation escorts and for airborne control during Operation Kingpin, the operational phase of the attempted rescue of prisoners of war from Son Tay prison camp in North Vietnam on November 21, 1970. 64-0523 was drawn from the 15th SOS at Nha

Trang and 64-0558 from Det. 2, 1st SOW at Pope AFB. The aircraft were modified at LAS Ontario with installation of FL-2B FLIR sets borrowed from the Heavy Chain project to compensate for difficulties in terrain-following created by the slow speeds necessitated by the mixed aircraft force. 24 primary and five backup crew personnel, all Stray Goose/Combat Spear veterans detached from 7th SOS (Combat Arrow) and 1st SOW (Combat Knife), developed helicopter-fixed wing formation procedures for low level night missions and jointly trained with selected Special Forces volunteers at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Between the end of August and September 28, 1970, Talon, helicopter, and A-1 Skyraider crews supervised by Combat Talon Program Manager Lt. Col. Benjamin N. Kraljev rehearsed the flight profile in terrain-following missions over southern Alabama, flying 368 sorties that totalled more than 1,000 hours. A month of intensive joint training with the Special Forces rescue force followed at a replica of the prison camp. In early November the task force deployed to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. The 24 primary crew members, a 7th SOS crew (Cherry 01) under Major Irl L. "Leon" Franklin and a 1st SOW crew (Cherry 02) commanded by Lt Col Albert P. "Friday" Blosch, conducted the mission, which was successfully executed without loss of any personnel. However the operation failed when the prison was found not to contain any prisoners. Post-Vietnam developments In 1974 the Combat Talon program was nearly dismantled as the Air Force sought to reverse its Vietnam emphasis on special operations. The 1st Special Operations Wing was redesignated the 834th Tactical Composite Wing and its Combat Talons of the 8th SOS became a TAC asset. However the use of 1st SOS "Yank" Talons in a sea surveillance role off North Korea in 1975 revived interest in the Combat Talon, as did the Israeli hostage rescue at Entebbe Airport. However, as late as 1978-1979, AFSOF was still disregarded by many staff planners, who saw it as a drain on resources and not a force enabler, and wanted the entire Talon force transferred to the Air National Guard. By November 1979, the Combat Talon force of 14 MC-130Es was divided among three squadrons, the first two of which were operationally deployed, and the third at Hurlburt essentially the force training squadron:   

1st Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa - (four MC-130 Yanks); 7th Special Operations Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany - (four MC-130 Clamps); and 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida - (six MC-130 Clamps).

Eagle Claw

1st Special Operations Squadron Following the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on November 4, 1979, training operations for a rescue mission of the 53 hostages began as early as November 7 by Talon crews at Kadena AB, and November 26 by crews at Hurlburt. At that time only seven Combat Talons had the inflight refueling capability necessary for the mission, which was to be mounted out of either Egypt or Diego Garcia (Masirah Island did not become available as a base until April 1980). All were assigned to the operation, a complex two-night plan called Eagle Claw. Talon crews using night vision goggles practiced blacked-out landings to insert Delta Force operators and U.S. Army Rangers deep into Iran, and developed several methods for delivering extra fuel for the RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters chosen to carry out the rescued hostages. Four transcontinental, all-component, twonight rehearsals were held between December 1979 and March 1980, including a full-scale rehearsal March 25–26 that involved every element of the final plan except the EC-130s. The four Talons (including a spare) of the 1st SOS staged to Masirah Island off the coast of Oman on April 19, 1980, to lead the Night One infiltration phase, while the three of the 8th SOS deployed to Wadi Qena, Egypt, on April 21 to lead the Night Two exfiltration phase. To establish a "normal" C130 presence in Egypt, Talons of the 7th SOS (none of which had aerial refueling capability) conducted regular flights using Military Airlift

Command call signs in and out of Wadi Qena between January 2 and April 8, 1980. They also used the deception to discreetly pre-position needed equipment, including ammunition for AC-130 gunships, at the staging base. The Talon crews also manned three borrowed EC-130E ABCCC aircraft configured to carry 18,000 U.S. gallons of jet fuel in six collapsible bladders for refueling the helicopters. After returning to Masirah, three of the 8th SOS Night One crews would be flown to Wadi Qena to carry out the Night Two mission. The first phase of the rescue mission began the evening of April 24, led by Lt Col Robert L. Brenci of the 8th SOS in Talon 64-0565, Dragon 1. The 1st SOS Talons successfully secured the forward operating location ("Desert One") in the Iranian Desert, but the helicopter portion of the mission ended in disaster. Although the mission was an embarrassing failure costing eight lives, seven helicopters, and an EC-130E aircraft in a ground accident, the MC-130s performed nearly flawlessly. Planning initiatives for a second rescue attempt, under the project name Honey Badger, began two weeks after the failed raid and continued through November. Combat Talon participation in Honey Badger amounted largely to tactics development, but ECM improvements included chaff and flare dispensers and new ALR-69 threat receivers that improved its defensive countermeasures capability well beyond that existing prior to Eagle Claw. Urgent Fury

8th Special Operations Squadron Five Combat Talons of the 8th Special Operations Squadron participated in Operation Urgent Fury, the United States invasion of Grenada between October 25 and 31, 1983. Unlike previous operations that involved months of planning, training, and reconnaissance, the 8th SOS prepared in less than 72 hours after being alerted. Its assignment was to airland a battalion of the 1st Ranger Battalion at night to capture Point Salines International Airport, defended by both Cuban and Grenadan troops, in the opening moments of the operation. The five Talons divided into three elements, two of them leading formations of Special Operations Low Level-equipped (SOLL) C-130 transports. In clouds at 500 ft (150 m) above the sea and 20 mi (32 km) west of its objective, the lead Talon (64-0562) experienced a complete failure of its APQ-122 radar. Reorganization of the mission formations delayed the airlanding for 30 minutes, during which U.S. Marines made their amphibious landing. To compound the lack of surprise, the U.S. Department of State, apparently in a good faith but inept diplomatic gesture, contacted Cuban authorities and compromised the mission, further alerting the defenses, including a dozen ZU-23-2 antiaircraft guns. An AC-130 Spectre gunship, directed to observe the main runway for obstructions, reported it blocked by construction equipment and barricades. Loadmasters aboard the inbound Combat Talons reconfigured them for a parachute drop in less than thirty minutes. Talon 64-0568, flown as Foxtrot 35 by 8th SOS commander Lt. Col. James L. Hobson and with the commander of the Twenty-Third Air Force (Maj. Gen. William J. Mall, Jr.) aboard as a passenger, combat-dropped the headquarters section of the 1st Ranger Battalion on the airport, despite being targeted by a searchlight and under heavy AAA fire. Two Spectre gunships suppressed the AAA so that the other Combat Talons and the SOLL C130s could complete the parachute drop of the Ranger battalion, with the only damage to the Talons being three hits by small arms fire to 640572. For his actions, Hobson was awarded the MacKay Trophy in 1984. Other Combat Talon I operations Just Cause

1st SOW Talons supported Operation Just Cause, the United States invasion of Panama in December 1989 and January 1990. Three MC-130Es of the 1st Special Operations Wing deployed to Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia within 48 hours of being alerted, then airlanded Rangers of the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regimentinto Rio Hato Military Airfield on December 18, 1989. The operation was conducted under total blackout conditions, using night vision goggles, 35 minutes after the opening parachute assault. One of the MC-130s had an engine disabled by a ground obstruction while taxiing, then made an NVG takeoff on three engines under intense ground fire, earning its pilot the Distinguished Flying Cross. The lead Talon, the only MC-130E equipped with the Benson tank refueling system, remained on the airfield as a Forward Area Refueling and Rearming Point (FARRP) for U.S. Army OH-6 helicopters. When Panamanian Gen.Manuel Noriega surrendered on January 3, he was immediately flown to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, by Combat Talon. Desert Storm

MC-130E Combat Talon I of 711th SOS, 1996-present The 1991 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq resulted in the deployment of four Combat Talons and six crews of the 8th SOS in August 1990 to King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia as a component of Operation Desert Shield. During Operation Desert Storm, the combat phase of the Gulf War in January and February 1991, the Combat Talon performed one-third of all airdrops during the campaign, and participated in psychological operations, flying 15 leaflet-drop missions before and throughout the war. Combat Talon crews also conducted five BLU-82B "Daisy Cutter" missions during the two weeks preceding the onset of the ground campaign, dropping 11 bombs on Iraqi positions at night from altitudes between 16,000 ft (4,900 m) and 21,000 ft (6,400 m), once in concert with a bombardment by the battleship USS Wisconsin. Two 7th SOS Talons deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, as part of Operation Proven Force. They supported the first Joint Search and Rescue mission over Iraq, attempting to recover the crew of Corvette 03, a downed F-15E Strike Eagle. However permission from the Turkish government to fly the mission was delayed for 24 hours, and the crew was not recovered.

Air Force Reserve Command On October 6, 1995, the Air Force began shifting the Combat Talon I force to the Air Force Reserve Command's 711th Special Operations Squadron based at Duke Field (Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #3), Florida, with the transfer of MC-130E 64-0571. Six went to the 711th SOS over the next year for crew training, and the squadron became operational on March 1, 1997. On March 5, 1999, the 8th Special Operations Squadron became the first active force squadron to become an Associate Unit to an Air Reserve Component organization, co-located with the 711th SOS, but without aircraft of its own, flying those of the reserve unit. Ten of the Combat Talon Is were primary assigned aircraft (PAA), two were assigned to crew training, and two were placed in backup inventory aircraft (BIA) storage. A Combat Talon I was the first aircraft to land at New Orleans International Airport after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. On July 14, 2006, the 8th SOS flew its last Combat Talon I mission and began conversion to the CV-22 Osprey, ending 41 years of active service for the MC-130E, which continues in service with the Air Force Reserve. Retirement The MC-130E Combat Talon I will be replaced by the MC-130J Commando II, which has the capability to complete missions faster and more efficiently than its Combat Talon and Combat Shadow counterparts. Recapitalization is a stated priority of Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. Only eight MC-130E aircraft are still active. MC-130H Combat Talon II Combat Talon II Development Credible Sport One of the measures considered for a second hostage rescue attempt in Iran was a project to develop a "Super STOL" aircraft, to be flown by Combat Talon crews, that would use a soccer stadium near the US Embassy as an improvised landing field. Called Credible Sport, the project acquired three C-130H transports from an airlift unit in late August 1980, one as a test bed and two for the mission, and modified them on an accelerated basis. Designated as the XFC-130H, the aircraft were modified by the installation of 30 rockets in five sets: eight firing forward to stop the aircraft, eight downward to brake its descent rate, eight rearward for takeoff assist, four mounted on the wings to stabilize them during takeoff transition, and two at the rear of the tail to prevent it from striking the ground because of over-rotation. Other STOL features included a dorsal and two ventral fins on the rear fuselage, double-slotted flaps and extended ailerons, a new radome, a tailhook for landing aboard an aircraft carrier, and Combat Talon avionics, including a TF/TA radar, a defensive countermeasures suite, and a Doppler radar/GPS tie-in to the aircraft's inertial navigation system. Of the three aircraft, only one received full modification. The program abruptly ended when one crashed during testing on October 29, 1980, and international events soon after rendered another rescue attempt moot. Testing and delivery One of the two surviving Credible Sport airframes, 74-1686, became the YMC-130H test bed for the next generation of Combat Talons, under the project name Credible Sport II. Phase I testing, conducted between August 24 and November 11, 1981, identified design deficiencies in the airframe and determined that the Credible Sport configuration did not have the safety margins necessary for peacetime operations. Phase II testing began June 15, 1982, continued through October 1982, and determined that the final Combat Talon II configuration, with significant improvements in design, avionics, and equipment, was ready for production. The initial purchase was authorized in 1982 at 12 aircraft, even though war-fighting requirements were estimated at more than 100, but was cut from funding until 1984. In 1983 USAF Special Operations Forces were transferred to the Military Airlift Command, seen as the another move by USAF to divest itself of its special operations role. Creation of the Twenty-Third Air Force reinforced that perception further when SOF represented less than 35% of its personnel and virtually none of its headquarters staff, dominated by the "rescue community". However the moves did remove the Combat Talon program from three fighter-oriented commands to a single command where promotion cycles were more favorable. In 1983 MAC established a Special Operations Force Master Plan that called for 21 Combat Talon IIs, including two attrition backups, with Initial Operational Capability in the third quarter of 1987 and full delivery by 1991. The first Combat Talon II, 83-1212, was delivered in June 1984, but an earlier decision by USAF not to equip it with the navigational radar suite of the MC-130E slowed its development for years. In the meantime, Initiative 17, part of the "31 Initiatives" agreement between the Army and Air Force in May 1984, was deferred later that year (and eventually killed) after objections from members of Congress who saw it as a divestiture of the SOF role by the Air Force. As a result, the Air Force cut procurement of

new HH-60D Nighthawk combat rescue aircraft from its budget requests, which further delayed the Combat Talon II program because, for cost control reasons, development of its "glass cockpit" and integrated avionics systems had been directly tied to that intended for the HH-60D.

MC-130H Combat Talon II of 15th SOS Five Combat Talon IIs were delivered in 1985 but the problem of acquiring a navigation radar had not been resolved (the APQ-122 was no longer being built). IBM was contracted to develop a new terrain following/avoidance radar, who then subcontracted the task to Emerson Electric Company. The resulting radar performed so poorly that the Combat Talon II was nearly cancelled, but special operations advocates in Congress kept the program alive. Ultimately the AN/APQ-170(V)8 radar was developed into a system that exceeded specifications, but at a large cost overrun and with a further three year delay in the Combat Talon II becoming operational. Deliveries in 1987, 1988, and 1989 brought the inventory to 18 aircraft, but all were still in modification, testing, or long term storage. Operations 1993-2000 The first fully operational MC-130H Combat Talon II (87-0024) was received by the 8th SOS on June 29, 1991, with three others delivered over the summer. The official acceptance ceremony for the Talon II was held at Hurlburt in October, and by December 1991 the 8th SOS was equipped with six. The Combat Talon II features a stronger airframe and modifications to the rear and aft cargo doors. The electronics suite has been upgraded, and includes Global Positioning System navigation, special radars for navigating in adverse weather, and night vision goggles (NVG) capability. These new technologies allow the Combat Talon II to fly as low as 250 feet (76 m) above ground level (AGL) in inclement weather, and make faster, more accurate airdrops. Increases in automation also reduce the aircrew by two. Initial Operational capability was reached on June 30, 1993. Three MC-130H Combat Talon IIs of the 7th SOS were deployed in December 1995 to deliver peacekeeping forces to Tuzla and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of Operation Joint Endeavor, during which one Talon was hit by ground fire. The first combat deployment of a Combat Talon II was on April 8, 1996, during Operation Assured Response. Special operations forces were deployed to Liberia to assist in the evacuation of 2000 civilians from the American embassy when the country broke down into civil war. However orders to combat drop an 18-man SEAL team off Monrovia were rescinded and the mission landed in Sierra Leone. Similar circumstances brought the Combat Talon II to Zaire in 1997. Talon II deployments for joint exercises in 1997 included Australia, Guam, Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand. In July 1997, three Talon IIs deployed to Thailand as part of Operation Bevel Edge, a proposed rescue of 1000 American citizens trapped in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by a possible civil war, but the crisis ended when the Cambodian government allowed all non-citizens who desired so to leave by commercial air. A 7th SOS Combat Talon II aircrew, Whiskey 05, earned the Mackay Trophy for an embassy evacuation mission in the Republic of the Congo in June 1997. The crew rescued thirty Americans and twenty-six foreign nationals, and logged twenty-one hours of flight time.

MC-130H Reg.88-1803 at RIAT 2010. Full Operational Capability for the Talon II was reached in February 2000. At that time 24 MC-130Hs were deployed to four squadrons:    

15th Special Operations Squadron, eleven at Hurlburt Field, Florida; 1st Special Operations Squadron, five at Kadena AB, Okinawa; 7th Special Operations Squadron, five at RAF Mildenhall, U.K.; and 550th Special Operations Squadron, three at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

Operations in Southwest Asia Afghanistan On the night of October 19–20, 2001, four Combat Talon IIs infiltrated a task force of 199 Rangers of the 3rd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment and tactical PSYOP teams 658 miles inside Taliban-held Afghanistan. The force dropped onto Objective Rhino (30°29′12″N 064°31′32″E / 30.48667°N 64.52556°E), an unused airfield in Kandahar Province 110 mi (180 km) southwest of Kandahar, to secure a landing zone as a temporary operating base for Special Forces units conducting raids in the vicinity. A month later, two MC-130Hs, flying from Masirah Island, inserted a platoon of U.S. Navy SEAL Team Three and four Humvee vehicles to within ten miles of the same airfield on the night of November 20–21. The SEAL platoon was inserted to establish an observation post at the airstrip, then assist two USAF combat controllers inserted by military free fall in preparing a landing zone for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 15th MEU landed in CH-53 helicopters on November 25, 2001, and established Camp Rhino, the first forward operating base in Afghanistan for United States forces. Combat Talon IIs of the 7th SOS, augmented by crews from the 15th and 550th SOSs, flew 13- to 15-hour airdrop and airlanding night resupply missions from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to Special Forces Operational Detachments-Alpha (ODAs) in Afghanistan during the opening phase of Operation Enduring Freedom in December 2001. Operating in mountainous terrain, they innovated an airdrop tactic by replicating maximum-effort

landing techniques to rapidly descend from 10,000 ft (3,000 m) to 500 ft (150 m) AGL to ensure accurate gravity drops after clearing high ridgelines into deep valleys. Iraq

7th Special Operations Squadron The 7th SOS, commanded by Lt. Col. Mark B. Alsid and part of the 352d Special Operations Group, received the Gallant Unit Citation in 2006 for operations conducted during Operation Iraqi Freedom between February 12 and May 12, 2003. The 7th SOS was tasked to Joint Special Operations Task Force - North, known as Task Force Viking, whose objective was to hold 13 Iraqi Army divisions along the "Green Line" in northeastern Iraq to prevent those divisions from reinforcing other Iraqi operations against United States forces invading from Kuwait. Forward-based at Constanţa, Romania, its primary mission was to infiltrate the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Army's 10th Special Forces Group and the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group into Kurdish-held territory in preparation for Operation Northern Delay. Denied permission by Turkey to fly into Iraq from its airspace, the 7th SOS flew the first 280 troops on a circuitous path around Turkey to a base in Jordan on March 20–21, 2003. On March 22, six Combat Talon IIs (four from the 7th SOS) infiltrated 16 ODAs, four ODBs, battalion command elements, and Air Force Combat Control Teams to complete the fifteen-hour mission, the longest in U.S. Special Operations history. The insertion profile consisted of a four and onehalf hour low level flight at night through western and northern Iraq to Bashur and Sulaymaniyah airfields, often taking heavy ground fire from the integrated air defenses. The Talon IIs, at emergency gross weight limits, operated blacked-out, employed chaff and electronic countermeasures, flew as low as 100 ft (30 m) AGL, and carried their troops tethered to the floor of the cargo holds. Three of the Talons were battle-damaged, with one forced to seek permission to land at Incirlik Air Base. The operation became known informally as "Operation Ugly Baby". Major Jason L. Hanover was individually honored for commanding a mission that seized two austere airstrips during the operation. After airlanding their troops, the Talon IIs then had to fly back through the alerted defenses to recover to their launching point. Overflight permission was granted by Turkey on March 23, and the Combat Talon IIs delivered a total of 50 ODAs into Iraq. The Talon IIs then resupplied Task Force Viking, assisted in operations to capture Kirkut and Mosul, airlanded supplies at remote outposts using Internal Airlift Slingable Container Units (ISUs), and acted as pathfinders for conventional C-130 airlift missions. Status Twenty MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft are operational with Air Force Special Operations Command. They will eventually be replaced by the MC130J Commando II. MC-130P Combat Shadow The MC-130P series of aircraft entered service during the Vietnam War as the HC-130P SAR command and control/aerial refueling aircraft. Combat Shadows have been part of the Air Force special operations force since 1986. In February 1996, AFSOC's 28-aircraft tanker fleet was redesignated the MC-130P, aligning the variant with other M-series special operations mission aircraft. Combat Shadows provided air refueling support in Panama to Army and Air Force helicopters during Operation Just Cause. In 1990, four Combat Shadows of the9th Special Operations Squadron deployed to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm, and three of the 67th Special Operations Squadron to Batman Air Base, Turkey for Proven Force. Since the Gulf War, the MC-130P has been involved in numerous operations, including Northern Watch and Southern Watch (Iraq), Deny Flight (Yugoslavia), Restore Democracy and Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Deliberate Force and Joint Endeavor (Bosnia),Assured Response (Liberia), Guardian Retrieval (Zaire), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom.

The Combat Shadow flies single or multi-ship low-level air refueling missions for special operations helicopters conducting infiltration, exfiltration, and supply missions, with command and control capability in limited situations. The primary emphasis for Combat Shadows is on night operations, using NVGs to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats.

MC-130P Combat Shadow, 17th Special Operations Squadron on a humanitarian mission. AFSOC operates 23 MC-130P Combat Shadows in three squadrons:   

9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa; and 67th Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, England

Air Education and Training Command operates the MC-130P at the Formal Training Unit: 

550th Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque New Mexico

The Air National Guard operates four MC-130P Combat Shadows embedded in the 129th Rescue Wing: 

130th Rescue Squadron (California Air National Guard), Moffett Federal Airfield, California

In 2008, the Air Force announced that it would replace the MC-130P fleet with a new aircraft based on the C-130J airframe. The MC-130J Commando II has the capability to complete missions faster and more efficiently than its Combat Talon and Combat Shadow counterparts. Recapitalization is a stated priority of Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.

MC-130P Combat Shadow MC-130W Combat Spear The MC-130W Combat Spear, unofficially and facetiously nicknamed the "Combat Wombat", performs clandestine or low visibility missions into denied areas to provide aerial refueling to SOF helicopters or to air drop small SOF teams and supply bundles.

73rd Special Operations Squadron The first of 12 MC-130Ws, 87-9286, was presented to Air Force Special Operations Command on June 28, 2006. The aircraft was developed to supplement the MC-130 Combat Talon and Combat Shadow forces as an interim measure after several training accidents and contingency losses in supporting the Global War on Terrorism. The program modified C-130H-2 airframes from the 1987-1990 production run, acquired from airlift units in the Air Force Reserve Commandand Air National Guard. Use of the H-2 airframe allowed installation of SOF systems already configured for Combat Talons without expensive and time-consuming development that would be required of new production C-130J aircraft, reducing the flyaway cost of the Spear to $60 million per aircraft. The Combat Spears, however, do not have a Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance capability.

A standard system of special forces avionics equips the MC-130W: a fully integrated Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System, an AN/APN-241 Low Power Color weather/navigation radar; interior and exterior NVG-compatible lighting; advanced threat detection and automated countermeasures, including active infrared countermeasures as well as chaff and flares; upgraded communication suites, including dual satellite communications using data burst transmission to make trackback difficult; aerial refueling capability; and the ability to act as an aerial tanker for helicopters and CV-22 Osprey aircraft using Mk 32B-902E refueling pods. The MC-130Ws are assigned to the 73rd Special Operations Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, with all twelve to be operational by 2010.Initially nicknamed the "Whiskey" (NATO phonetic for the "W" modifier), the MC-130W was officially dubbed the Combat Spear in May 2007 to honor the historical legacy of the Combat Talons in Vietnam.

MC-130W Combat Spear 87-9286 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. MC-130W Dragon Spear In May 2009, following a lapse of plans to acquire and develop an AC-27J "gunship light" to replace the aging, operations-stressed AC130 inventory, the Air Force began exploring an option of converting MC-130Ws into interim gunships. The Dragon Spears are equipped with a Bushmaster II GAU-23/A 30mm gun (an improved version of the MK44 MOD0 30mm gun), sensors, communications systems, and precisionguided munitions in the Precision Strike Package. The PGMs are to be in the form of the Gunslinger weapons system, a launch tube designed to deploy up to ten GBU-44/B Viper Strike or Griffin (missile) small standoff munitions in quick succession. Initial supplemental funds to the 2010 Defense Authorization Bill were for two kits to be installed in 2010. On 17 November 2009, a contract was awarded to Alliant Techsystems to produce 30 mm ammunition for use by the Dragon Spear. In September 2010, the Air Force awarded L-3 Communications a $61 million contract to convert eight MC-130W Combat Spear special-mission aircraft to give them a gunship-like attack capability. Under the terms of the deal, L-3 will perform modifications that will allow the aircraft to take the weapons kits, which are called "precision strike packages". MC-130Ws fitted with the weapons will be known as Dragon Spears. Air Force Special Operations Command is converting all 12 MC-130W aircraft to Dragon Spears in order to relieve the relentless operational demands on its regular AC-130 gunships until new AC-130Js enter the fleet. The MC-130W Dragon Spear went from concept to flying with a minimum capability in less than 90 days, and from concept to deployment in 18 months. Its success led to the William J. Perry Award, and it will be the model for the AC-130J gunship program.

MC-130J COMMANDO II

The MC-130J sits on the tarmac after its unveiling. Beginning in 1997, studies of the vulnerability of the non-stealthy MC-130 force reflected concerns about its viability in modern high-threat environments, including the prevalence of man-portable air-defense systems ("MANPADs") in asymmetric conflicts. At least two studies were conducted or proposed to explore the prospect of a replacement aircraft (known variously as "MC-X" or "M-X"), with USAF at that time hoping for an Initial Operating Capability date of 2018.One analyst questioned the survivability of slow non-stealthy platforms such as the MC-130 in future threat environments in a 2007 presentation to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and stated his opinion that development of a stealthy replacement for the MC-130 is a "strategic priority". The U.S. Department of Defense's 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review Report also recognized the concern, asserting DoD's intention to "enhance capabilities to support SOF insertion and extraction into denied areas from strategic distances." Despite these concerns, the USAF decided to proceed with modernization of the current force. The Air Force has stated it desires 37 MC-130Js to replace its MC-130Es and MC-130Ps, which are 40 or more years old. Based on the KC-130J tanker operated by the United States Marines Corps, the new MC-130J has added features for both combat search and rescue and special operations missions. The HC-130J and MC-130J both use the KC-130J tanker as a baseline, but with major modifications to the Block 6.5 KC-130J. The MC-130J adds an Enhanced Service Life Wing, an Enhanced Cargo Handling System, a Universal Aerial Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI) boom refueling receptacle, more powerful electrical generators, an electro-optical/infrared sensor, a combat systems operator station on the flight deck, provisions for the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System, and armor. Production of the first MC-130J aircraft was started at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Marietta, Georgia, on October 5, 2009. Lockheed Martin will build an MC-130J tanker version for Air Force Special Operations Command on its standard C-130J production line. The MC-130J is the first C-130 specifically built for special operations, making it lighter and more efficient. Most special operations aircraft are modified after production to accommodate special operations missions. The MC-130J was initially dubbed the Combat Shadow II in honor of the aging MC-130P platform that it was expected to replace, however, it was recently officially named the Commando II.

A cockpit view of the MC-130J The Air Force Special Operations Training Center has begun the MC-130J training program in conjunction with the 193rd Special Operations Wing, using any of the unit's four EC-130J Commando Solo aircraft to form what will become the training regimen for MC-130J aircrew members. The MC-130J has a 5-member crew, a major reduction in size from the standard 8-member MC-130P Combat Shadow crew, thus requiring additional coordination among crew members. The MC-130J will begin replacing aging MC-130E Combat Talon I and MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft after a period of testing and evaluation. The Commando II will fly clandestine, low-level aerial refueling missions as well as infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions. The 522nd Special Operations Squadron is the first to operate the MC-130J Commando II. It is expected to achieve Initial Operational Capability in 2012. The first MC-130J (09-6207) undertook its first test flight on 22 April 2011. The 522nd Special Operations Squadron received its first MC-130J in late September, 2011. A total of 37 MC-130J aircraft are planned, which will eventually replace all other MC-130 variants. Operational losses Between 1967 and 2005, nine MC-130 special operations aircraft have been destroyed in operations, two of them in combat in the Vietnam War, resulting in the deaths of 68 crewmen and passengers:   

C-130E(I) / MC-130E Combat Talon I - four MC-130H Combat Talon II - four MC-130P Combat Shadow - one

Combat Talon I losses

Two of the four aircraft assigned to Project Stray Goose were lost in combat: 64-0563 was destroyed on November 25, 1967, by a direct hit of a mortar round while parked on the Nha Trang flightline. The aircraft had been scheduled for a mission and had just completed preflight of the exterior when the mission was cancelled. Soon after the crew left the ramp, the aircraft was hit and destroyed by fire. 64-0547 was missing-in-action with its entire 11-man crew on December 29, 1967, on a mission to drop leaflets inside North Vietnam. The Blackbird had completed its leaflet drop leg of the mission at 30,000 ft (9,100 m) and begun its descent to its terrain-following exit altitude. Communication was lost without the Blackbird reporting any threats detected. SOF commanders at the time discounted the possibility of its being shot down because the flight, conducted by an inexperienced aircraft commander under new moon conditions, was not claimed as such by North Vietnam. In November 1992 the wreckage was located near the peak of a mountain 32 mi (51 km) northeast of Dien Bien Phu, and it was surmised that its descent was too steep for its TF/TA radar to stabilize. 64-0547 was the only special operations MC-130 lost on a combat mission over hostile terrain in the history of the program. 64-0558 was lost in a mid-air collision during a night training exercise 15 miles north of Conway, South Carolina on December 5, 1972. An F-102 Delta Dagger of the South Carolina Air National Guard, attempting a night intercept of the Talon, flew into the fuel drop tank on the its right wing, with the loss of both aircraft, killing all 12 aboard the C-130. 64-0558 had been one of the two Talons assigned to the Son Tay POW camp rescue mission. Former Heavy Chain and Desert One veteran 64-0564 crashed into the ocean shortly after a pre-dawn takeoff from NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, on February 26, 1981, killing 15 passengers and eight of nine crewmen. The Talon was taking part in Special Warfare Exercise 81 and had flown 12 missions in the preceding 16 days. Following an administrative flight the day before, the crew was scheduled for its last mission, a night exercise that was set back from 01:00 local time to 04:30. The flight profile consisted of a normal takeoff, a tactical landing a half hour later to onload 15 Navy SEALs, followed by a tactical takeoff. The Talon reported normal flight conditions six minutes after the tactical takeoff, but crashed nine minutes later. No cause was determined, but investigators found that the likely causes were either crew fatigue from operations tempo, or failure of the terrain following radar to enter "override" mode while over water. Combat Shadow/Talon II losses Combat Shadow 66-0213 was lost when it flew into the ground in eastern Afghanistan on February 13, 2002. Assigned to the 9th SOS, the aircraft made an emergency climb in poor visibility to avoid a hill but crash landed wheels up in deep snow. The aircraft was a total loss but the crew of eight survived. Combat Talon II 84-0475, assigned to the 15th SOS, was lost in a takeoff crash on June 12, 2002, near Gardez, Afghanistan. During a night exfiltration mission of two Special Forces soldiers from a landing strip at the Sardeh Band dam, the Talon crashed less than three miles from the airstrip shortly after takeoff. Conflicting reports point to overweight cargo and windshear as possible causes. The Talon's two loadmasters and a passenger were killed. Combat Talon II 90-0161, also of the 15th SOS, crashed into Monte Perucho, south of Caguas, Puerto Rico, during a training mission on August 7, 2002, killing all ten aboard. The Talon was flying a terrain following night mission in blowing rain and fog, along a low level route commonly used by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. The crew misinterpreted and disregarded terrain obstacle warnings. Combat Talon II 85-0012 was severely damaged during a landing accident at Mosul, Iraq, on December 29, 2004. The 15th SOS aircraft was on a resupply mission and struck a trench dug into the runway while still at 80 knots, shearing off part of its landing gear and partially separating its left wing from the fuselage. The trench was part of a U.S. Army construction project and a warning Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) had not been filed or disseminated to the aircrew, despite a safety hazard report filed in the week previous by another aircrew. No fatalities occurred but the aircraft was destroyed by explosive demolition to prevent its classified equipment from being compromised. A Combat Talon II of the 7th SOS, 87-0127 (Wrath 11), crashed during a terrain-following-and-avoidance night training exercise on March 31, 2005, near Rovie, in the Drizez Mountains in southeast Albania, 60 miles southeast of Tirana. The Talon had taken off from Tirana-Rinas Airport 20 minutes before and was one of two flying at 300 ft (91 m) AGL at a reduced power setting. The aircraft was lost when it stalled attempting to clear terrain, killing all nine crew members. Specifications (MC-130H Combat Talon II) General characteristics    

Crew: 7 Capacity: 77 troops, 52 paratroopers or 57 litter patients Length: 99 feet, 9 inches (30.4 meters) Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (40.4 meters)

   

Height: 38 feet, 6 inches (11.7 meters) Empty weight: 72,892 pounds (32, 801 kilogram) Max. takeoff weight: 155,000 pounds (69,750 kilogram) Powerplant: 4 × Allison T56-A-15 turboprop, 4,910 shaft horsepower (3,660 kW) each

Performance   

Cruise speed: 300 mi/hr (482 km/h) Range: 2,700 nautical miles (4,344 kilometers) Service ceiling: 33,000 feet (10,000 meters)

Avionics         

APQ-170 TF/TA navigational radar ARN-151 GPS link APN-232 radar altimeter LN-83 Inertial Navigation Unit AAQ-15 Forward Looking Infrared imaging system ARC-187 SatCom/data burst radio ALQ-172 Countermeasures System (repeater-jammer) ALQ-196 Countermeasures System AAR-44 IRWR (missile warning receiver)

AC-130W Stinger II The AC-130W Stinger II, previously known as the MC-130W Dragon Spear, is a gunship that is created by applying a roll-on, roll-off Precision Strike Package to existing MC-130W Combat Spear aircraft. The resulting AC-130W Stinger IIs are operated by the Air Force 73rd Special Operations Squadron out of Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The Stinger II program is designed to augment the aging AC-130 gunship flee in lieu of a lapsed AC-130J project. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) plans to eventually convert its entire fleet of AC-130W Combat Spears into Stinger IIs.

AC-130W Stinger II - Role The AC-130W role is similar to the AC-130H Spectre / AC-130U Spooky U gunships, also operated by AFSOC, albeit with less emphasis on direct strike missions. The AC-130W Stinger II platform is geared more towards its primary role of armed overwatch as well as reconnaissance and close air support. The aircraft also has a limited cargo transport role. The AC-130W fleet is meant to augment the Spooky and Spectres, not replace them. AC-130W Stinger II - Features Armaments The AC-130W Stinger II can fitted with an array of sophisticated weapons. The Precision Strike Package is a modular weapons package and can include:   

Wing-mounted GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bombs (SDB's) Bushmaster II Mk44 30mm gun Gunslinger weapons system featuring a launch tube capable of deploying up to 10 GBU-44/B Viper Strike or Griffin small standoff munitions

The various weapons fitted are managed by a battle management system (BMS).

Avionics Standard AC-130W Stinger IIs feature a GPS and Inertial Navigation System navigation and a AN/APN-241 Low Power Color weather/navigation Radar. A sophisticated communications fitment includes satellite and data burst capabilities. The Precision Strike Package adds an improved infrared sensor and electro-optical targeting system, communications and a battle management system. Defensive Systems Stinger IIs feature state of the art radar and missile warning sensors and countermeasures such as jammers and flare and chaff launchers Refueling Systems Combat Spears can receive fuel from other airborne tankers via its Universal Aerial Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation. AC-130W Stinger II Operational History The first MC-130W Dragon Spears began operating in March 2010. The aircraft were redesignated as AC-130W Stinger IIs in May 2012. AC-130W Stinger II Specifications Crew

Engines Dimensions

Max Takeoff Weight Range Ceiling Speed Defensive systems Avionics

7:4 officers (pilot, copilot, two navigators) 3 enlisted (flight engineer, 2 loadmasters) 4 Allison turboprop engines T56-A-15 Length : 29.8 meters (E) / 30.4 meters (H) Height : 11.7 meters Wingspan : 40.4 meters 69,750 kilograms 1,944 nm (without in-flight refueling) 33,000 feet 300 mph (sea level) AN/ALE-27 chaff/flare dispensers, various missile warning receivers and jammers AN/APN-241 Low Power Color weather/navigation Radar GPS Navigation Inertial navigation AN/AAQ-38 FLIR Battle management system (BMS)

The AC-130W's nose houses a AN/APN-241 Low Power Color weather/navigation Radar and a AN/AAQ-38 forward looking infrared (FLIR) pod in a chin turret.