AC-130 gunship

The AC-130 series of gunships are derived from the C-130 Hercules, which is the most versatile and widely flown military transport in the post-World War II era. AC-130s were first used in Vietnam. More recently they have been used to support special operations forces (SOF) missions as night-flying close air support aircraft for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

The primary mission remains close support, air interdiction and aerial reconnaissance. Other missions include...