Posted on 10/16/2001 6:32:25 AM PDT by Pericles
I wouldn't want to try shooting an incoming shoulder-fired SAM end-on, even with a 20mm Vulcan. (Remember that all the guns are on the left side of the plane: if somebody launches a missile from the right-hand side, the plane is defenseless until it manages to lumber around 180 degrees and bring its guns to bear.) When the article said "blind," my guess is that it was referring to the staggering IR decoy-flare capabilities of the C-130. When somebody mashes the flare button, three huge flare ejectors (right, left, bottom) toward the rear of the plane start throwing out (this is a guess) between ten and twenty magnesium flares per second until the button is released. It creates an amazing spectacle that nearly blinds humans, let alone the simple seeker head of a missile small enough to be fired from the shoulder.
I have a 2MB MPEG of a standard C-130 (not an AC-130 Spectre, just a C-130 Hercules) squirting hundreds of flares while flying over water, leaving a tremendous umbrella of smoke in the sky, but I have no idea how to post it.
During the Battle of Khafji, a Specter was shot down, killing all 14 of its crew.
AC-119G mini guns
Link for more info and pics on the AC-119 gunship
Quote from the above website on AC-119 gunships,
With the advantage of hindsight, however, it can be argued that the truest testimony of the AC-119s' worth is not measured on engine performance charts, The most obvious sign of success was when a GI on the ground, about to be overrun by VC troops, told the FAC pilot "F#@%! the F-4s - Get me a Shadow!
Upon witnessing the wrath that the AC-47 brought down on the VC attackers that night, he reported that visual effect of the tracers, 1 in every 5 rounds or 20 per second, gave the appearance of dragon's breath. He also tied the roar of the guns into the description. Upon reading the account in the Stars and Stripes, the CO of the 1st Commando Squadron exclaimed "Well, I'll be damned! Puff, the Magic Dragon." from a child's song recently popularized in the U.S. by the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Captured VC documents later told of orders not to attack the Dragon as weapons are useless and it will only infuriate the monster.
My service in the USAF special ops was a bit after the Vietnam war. A few of the old sergeants I worked with related how the mere mention of Puff on the radio sent the VC scurrying out of the area. Sometimes they even simulated a call to Puff to get the same effect when no Puff was available.
More AC-130 websites AC-130 GUNSHIP THE FABULOUS FOUR ENGINE FIGHTERS
Also link to the book "The Fence" on AC-130 gunships at the link above. "The Fence is a hard hitting and accurate account of the heroism of the brave airmen that flew the AC-130 Spectre Gunship during the Vietnam War. A must read selection for Special Operations enthusiasts." Hugh Hunter, Colonel, USAF [Ret] Commander 1st Special Operations Wing, Hulburt Field, Florida [1983-85]
The General Electric GAU-8, 30MM Gatlin cannon, which fires 4800 rounds a minute, is ALWAYS useful. Some may remember in Granada, when a A-10 fored into a building, it REMOVED the entire second floor in one burst. Aerial artillary, it ain't just for tanks.
Gotta agree, it "ain't just for tanks anymore!" The ammunition for the 30mm "Avenger" cannon has become diverse - including some that act as anti-personnel fragmentation grenades when they impact. An A-10 pilot could "paint" an area with a two-second cannon burst and the Taliban troops would find themselves in the middle of *hundreds* of bursting grenades.
The A-10s could pop up over a ridgeline and surprise some of the bad guys, unlike the higher-flying C-130-based gunships. The right tool, for the right job. I suspect they'll use the Warthogs if they're over there. Besides, you never know when some Taliban sympathizers in Pakistan might send some tanks over to "help".
The newest AC-130U model is named Spooky. AC-130H model is the renowned Spectre. The AC-130U is the most complex aircraft weapon system in the world today.
More info on AC-130U
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