[sci.military] AC-130

faunt@cisco.com (Doug Faunt N6TQS 415-688-8269) (02/23/90)

From: Doug Faunt N6TQS 415-688-8269 <faunt@cisco.com>
Check out the Feb. 19th Aviation Week, page 61.  A 105-mm. howitzer
sticking out the side of a C-130 is impressive.

yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (ran el-Yaniv) (08/24/90)

From: ran el-Yaniv <yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>

What would these be used for? The AC-130 is not very fast, nor very heavily
armoured... It may be a good gunship for the COIN mission, but over Iraq
it may susteain heavy casualties...

yaniv

Steve.Bridges@Dayton.NCR.COM (Steve Bridges) (08/28/90)

From: Steve.Bridges@Dayton.NCR.COM (Steve Bridges)

In <1990Aug24.033918.34@cbnews.att.com> yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (ran el-Yaniv) writes:



>From: ran el-Yaniv <yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>

>What would these be used for? The AC-130 is not very fast, nor very heavily
>armoured... It may be a good gunship for the COIN mission, but over Iraq
>it may susteain heavy casualties...

I did a staff study in college on upgrading the AC-130 for better
survivalibility.  Here are some of the things I remember.

The AC-130 does carry ECM gear in addition to flares and chaff.

The guns and crew stations are protected by both armor plate and ballistic
armor.

The 105mm gun is effective at SLANT ranges up to 7NM (14,000 yards), and is
an effective tank destroyer.

The sensor suite consists of low light level TV, FLIR, side looking
radar.

The AC-130 could orbit behind the FEBA and wait for targets.  If the
AAA/SAMS are to heavy, they could call in flak/SAM suppression to
keep the enemy's heads down until it was safe to go after the enemy
troops, trucks or whatever.

The AC-130 has a good loiter time over the battlefield.

The armament of the AC-130H consists of (at least when I did my staff study):

	105mm howitzer
	40mm bofors rapid fire cannon
	2 20mm Vulcans
	2 7.6mm miniguns


-- 
Steve Bridges                    | NCR - USG Product Marketing and Support OLS
Steve.Bridges@Dayton.NCR.COM     | Phone:(513)-445-4182 622-4182 (Voice Plus)
..!ncrlnk!usglnk!uspm650!steve   | AOPA #916233
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major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) (08/31/90)

From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)

In article <1990Aug24.033918.34@cbnews.att.com>, yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (ran el-Yaniv) writes:
> 
> 
> From: ran el-Yaniv <yaniv%shum.huji.ac.il@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
> 
> What would these be used for? The AC-130 is not very fast, nor very heavily
> armoured... It may be a good gunship for the COIN mission, but over Iraq
> it may susteain heavy casualties...
> 
> yaniv



  ...yeah, but...if I'm on the ground, one of those Spectre Gunships orbiting
  overhead give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.  The firepower those things can
  spit out is AWSOME!!  And with computer-transponder links - highly 
  accurate.  It will certainly keep the bad guys buttoned up and heads down.


  mike schmitt