AC-130J Ghostrider
OEM: Lockheed Martin
First Produced: 2014
Status: Active
Role: Special operations gunship
Primary Operator: Air Force Special Operations Command
OEM Website: lockheedmartin.com
The AC-130J Ghostrider is Air Force Special Operations Command's latest gunship, built on the MC-130J Combat Shadow II airframe and mounting a 30mm GAU-23/A side-firing cannon, a 105mm cannon, and standoff precision weapons including AGM-176 Griffin missiles and Small Diameter Bombs. Sensors include electro-optical/infrared and synthetic-aperture radar.
The AC-130J replaces the legacy AC-130U Spooky and AC-130W Stinger II and extends the gunship mission — close air support, air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance in permissive to moderately contested environments — for special operations forces worldwide. Future upgrades under exploration include airborne high-energy laser integration.
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