The
Lockheed AC130A Spectre gunship first made its trial appearance in Vietnam
in late 1967. Because it was highly maneuverable at low speeds and
could spend hours in an operational area while delivering a precisely
placed stream of withering fire on a target, it immediately proved its
worth in combat. Within one year all but 3 AC130A gunships were
deployed to SEA. Those 3 aircraft remained in the US to train additional
aircrews. The AC130A was armed with 2 M61 Vulcan cannons mounted
in the first half of the fuselage and could deliver a stream of accurate
fire from each gun at a rate of 100 shells per second. It was usually
used at half that rate to conserve ammunition. A pair of 40mm Bofors cannons
were mounted in the aft section that could deliver a steady stream of
300 rounds of ammunition per minute. Some AC130s were armed with
105mm Howitzers mounted in place of the rear Bofors cannons. This
modification made the gunship an extremely affective tank killer.
(courtsey www.taskforceomegainc.org)
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