Hi some pics

Circa what year for these pictures please?

-Already knew ACs had refueling ability. Just re-enforcing the obvious.

-Unless there was an upgrade there are a few U’s that don’t have the 105. Although that may have changed.

-Most of my suggestions are companion airframes to compliment existing airframes. So some new ones not having the 105 and supporting appliances means weight to trade off where you have one or two airframes having the ability to drop big PGMs. A nice option. I would rather see a variety of airframes above the existing requirement for the existing design. A few bomber only versions would also mean staying power for the current COIN work.

What are the tail # of the U without the 105? All AC-130Hs and all AC-130Us have always had the 105MM Sice I have worked on them and flew on them… Things might have changed in the last 2 years though.

tail # would be nice.

Wish we had more AC’s. They are really powerful for night time bug hunts.

–fun–Make your own AC based on the J model….

I would take an approach that is a different flavor than the u boats and would compliment, but not upstage them:

-Current guns minus the 105mm
-Sniper XR pod
-Ability to be air to air refueled ( of course )
-Wing hardpoints that could have the option of carrying the following:
–Hellfire
–SDB
–GBU-12
–GBU-38

—- Another accessory to the AC squadron – B-130
-Ability to be air to air refueled ( of course )
-Sniper XR pod
Ability to drop the following munitions-
-Hellfire
-Maverick
-SDB
-GBU-12, 24 ( and or enhanced version of the Paveway )
-GBU-31, 32, 35, 38
-JASSM ( to help out on big wars if there was nothing for it to do in the early phase of a war )

-Ability to be air to air refueled ( of course ) —Thay have this ability now
-Current guns minus the 105mm — why would you get rid of the 105?? the 20MM are long gone off of the H model, the 25MM are not that great on the U model. the 40MMs are still good but I would update/upgrade them.
a 155 is way too big for a C-130.
-Hellfire
-Maverick—- the U model is hardwired for this capability right now. It has never been used and I really do not see any use for it. You would have to come in at a differient angle and would defeat the whole perpose for having a gunship on station. Might as well us an A-10.

If you are talking about the older cf34s then you are adding about 200 lbs to an engine with no real thrust gain (sure newer systems might be nice and we all know how efficent the rjs are)
the newer cf34s are twice as heavy and only add 4000 lbs thrust per engine.

With more and more CF34s on the market you’ll never have a problem with parts so I guess its about even for the argument 🙂

The abilty not to fire at freindly forces/

A lighter version of the AN/APQ-150 used on the AC-130 could help in that area.
Fratracide is an unfortunate part of war. It always happens. Every force in almost every war has had its share. The trick is to lessen it.

Actually the file is here:

http://www.vampirebat.com/war/

I have a 20mm shell casing from an AC-130 used in Enduring Freedom. The business end of it was deposited into some poor unsavory character in Afghanistan 😀

I would have to disagree with you there.
The 20MM were taken off the AC-130Hs between 1996-1998 long before Enduring freedom.
the AC-130U has the 25MM