| Aircraft | AC-130 "Spectre" (Lockheed) |
| Type | Attack |
| Year | 1972(AC-130A) |
| Engine | Four 73,362 kW (4,508 shp) Allison T56-A-15 turboprops |
| Wingspan | 40.41m (132 ft. 7 in.) |
| Length | 29.79m (97 ft. 9 in.) |
| Height | 11.66m (38 ft. 3 in.) |
| Weight | Operational:MTOW 79,380 kg (175,000 lbs.), Empty:34,536 kg (75,743 lbs.) |
| Max. speed | 556 km/h (345 mph) |
| Max rate of climb at sea level | 579m (1,900 ft/min) |
| Crew | 14: five officers (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer); nine enlisted (flight engineer, loadmaster, low-light TV operator, infrared detection set operator, five aerial gunners) |
| Armament | 105mm howitzer
bofors 40mm gun (General Electric) GAU-12/U 25mm six-barrel gun:3,000 rds |
-Four 20mm cannon, four 7.62mm Miniguns, FLIR target-acquisition, a searchlight, improved sensors and direct-view image intensifiers characterized the AC-130A Spectre, 14 of which were built and use operationally over Vietnam from late 1968 onwards. Their success led to the conversion of 11 C-130E's with better armor protection, more ammunition and enhanced avionics. From 1973, these aircraft were upgraded to AC-130H standard with more powerful engines, a 105mm howitzer, two 40mm and two 20mm cannon, and the addition of IR/LLLTV sensors, laser target designator, sideways-looking HUD for aiming at night while orbiting the target and an IFR capability.
-Development of an all new version, the AC-130U,
began in mid-1987, the first post-conversion flight taking place on 20
December 1990. While the 105mm howitzer and 40mm cannon remain, the two
20mm have been replaced by a pair of 25mm six-barrel Gatling guns. Two
targets can be fired upon simultaneously, and all operations are controlled
and monitored by operators at seven computer consoles in the cabin-mounted
battle-management center.
Source-United States Air Force