AC-130 Gunship

An AC-130H Spectre Gunship as flown by USAF Special Operations.

The AC-130 is a C-130 Hercules cargo plane that has been configured as a flying gun platform.

The Spectre variant of the AC-130 features 2 × 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannons, 1 × 40 mm L60 Bofors cannon and 1 × 105 mm M102 howitzer, all arrayed in the port fuselage.

Infrared, radar and low-light televisions sensors are used to pick out targets.

Special Operations Forces on the ground, often a Combat Controller or other JTAC, may identify targets for the AC-130 as it circles above the battlefield.

The AC-130 has proved especially effective in theaters such as Afghanistan where its ability to lay down massive amounts of fire onto a precise grid has been used on numerous occasions.