The “Pave Pronto” AC-130As were all based on the “Surprise Package” design, but featured additional equipment including an AN/ASD-5 Black Crow Direction Finder Set to find the emissions of the ignition system of Russian truck engines. This gunship conversion was an even greater success than those before it! The single “Surprise Package” AC-130A was equipped with two 40mm Bofors cannons (in place of the aft pair of 20mm Vulcans), General Electric ASQ-145 Low-Level Light Television (LLLTV), a Konrad AVQ-18 laser designator/rangefinder, and a new AYK-9 digital fire control computer. They were painted black overall and also known as “Plain Janes”, to distinguish them from the “Surprise Package” and “Pave Pronto” AC-130As. These aircraft were deployed to Southeast Asia in late-1968. In 1968, seven more JC-130A aircraft were converted, although these were equipped with better Texas Instruments AN/AAD-4 Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), a Singer-General Precision fire control computer, a Texas Instruments Moving Target Indicator (MTI), and other equipment to reach current C-130A production standard. A short-nose Hercules, it was a basic C-130A with the addition of four 7.62mm General Electric XMU-470 Miniguns, four 20mm General Electric M61 Vulcan cannons, an analog fire control computer, a Night Observation Device (NOD) or Starlite Scope, a “bread board” computer, and a 20kW searchlight. The prototype AC-130A (#54-1626), previously designated JC-130A, was tested at Eglin AFB, FL and in Southeast Asia during 1967. Originally, C-130As were converted into side-firing gunships during Project Gunship II and the follow-on programs, Projects Plain Jane, Surprise Package and Pave Pronto. The AC-130H “Spectre” and AC-130U “Spooky II” are Hercules transports that have been converted into side-firing gunships, primarily for night attacks against ground targets. Secondary missions include armed reconnaissance, forward air control, limited command and control, and combat search and rescue.ĭuring the 1950s, the C-130 Hercules was originally designed as an assault transport but was readily adapted for a variety of missions, including weather reconnaissance, mid-air space capsule recovery, search and rescue, drone launching, and mid-air refueling of helicopters. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations.
The Lockheed AC-130H/U is a fixed-wing, side-firing aerial gunship that provides close air support, air interdiction and force protection.
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