I know somewhere in here I covered some of this ground already to include the retirement of the
AC-130H SPECTRE.
Some of the refs below I know are "
recalled" from the past/or from my files that I just never acted on for various reasons to be covered at the end, many are not.
So lets begin by ref date order...
First the overview.
http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/ac_130.htm
AC-130U SPOOKY...
First "
GUNSHIP" retires...
https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Articl...pooky-retires/
USAF Factsheet...
https://www.hurlburt.af.mil/About-Us...pooky-gunship/
Final Combat Deployment...
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...at-deployment/
Last
ARMED GUNSHIP retired on
19 August 2019...
https://www.dm.af.mil/Media/News/Art...to-retirement/
How they served (This crew is not an exception, but represent the whole.) and part of the reason operationally for my comments below...
https://www.mildenhall.af.mil/News/A...istan-mission/
Major USAF (Those that served in the USAF will understand better probably.) milestone achieved...
https://www.hurlburt.af.mil/News/Art...-with-ac-130u/
CINCLANTHOME has informed me that my time is limited (Lunch/Shower/work/TGIF.
Interim AC 130 Gunship that I believe might still be in service and also to be replaced by the
AC-130J GHOSTRIDER (Which might have to wait until
EARLY tomorrow morning.)
AC-130W STINGER...
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-She...0w-stinger-ii/
http://www.americanspecialops.com/us...-dragon-spear/
The above are the
EARLY models the 30mm GAU would be kept, the 25mm would replaced by the
105mm due to technical issues to include gun
targeting issues. Below are for
current version...
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...perately-needs
https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...owitzer-video/
https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/th...omb-1584518199
https://www.airforce-technology.com/...er-ii-gunship/
Just got informed of the time-
GOTTA RUN!!
Regards,
Pat