Bad Guys To Have More Bad Days

Some 300-400 new workers will be needed, as a major contract begins at Crestview Aerospace Corporation (CAC) in northwest Florida. CAC's Aircraft Modification Division has begun work on the first of four aircraft as part of a program to produce AC-130U gunships for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. If the option is exercised for all four aircraft, the total contract value will be $45 million to Crestview Aerospace.

Late last month, Boeing received a contract, with a total potential value of $450 million for four gunship modifications. Crestview Aerospace is a strategic subcontractor and partner to Boeing for special operations support programs. In addition to special operation C-130 efforts, Crestview Aerospace also performs aircraft modifications in support of a variety of other Department of Defense programs.

"We are particularly appreciative of Boeing's trust in our capabilities to get this job done," states Charles R. Shanklin, VP of CAC's Aircraft Modification Division. "We've completed several significant programs with Boeing over the years, but this is the first one that will require more than 50% of our workforce dedicated to its completion. It's a significant impact to our business, and to the creation of new jobs in northwest Florida."

The AC-130U gunships, also known as "Spooky II," represent a major advancement over previous generation gunships. Existing C-130 airframes will be modified to receive the latest sensor technologies and fire control systems that substantially enhance the gunships' combat effectiveness.

On February 18, 2003, Crestview Aerospace hosted dignitaries from Boeing, the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and other government and military officials, in a ceremony inducting the first aircraft (above and right), for modification. All four gunships are expected to be complete in 2006, bringing the inventory up to a possible 17.

Upgraded AC-130Hs (newer, more powerful engines and the capability for in-flight refueling), the "Spectres" continued to serve the Armed forces after the war, taking part in almost every major military action since the Vietnam war, including Grenada, Panama, and the Gulf War. In addition, Gunships have been deployed with US forces to such hot spots as Somalia, haiti, and the Balklans. In each case they have been very popular with US and NATO forces. Late in the 1980s, however, the Air Force decided that it needed to upgrade the capacities of the AC-130, and the AC-130U project was begun. The weapons were changed somewhat, with the twin 20mm vulcan cannons being dropped in favor of a GAU-12 25mm rotating cannon. At one point it was planned to add the capacity to add hellfire missiles but this was never adopted.

However, the biggest change to the AC-130 airframe was in its electronics and avionics. AN AN/APG-180 radar (derived from the same ground and air radar that the Air Forces F-15E uses) was added to allow tracking of targets and rounds for adjustment as was an ALLTV (All Light Level TV) for operations at night or daytime, when the crew wants to keep their radars off the avoid alerting enemy forces or giving anti-radar missiles a target to home in on. Over 600,000 lines of computer code was written to tie all the weapons systems and sensors together, making the AC-130U second only to the new F/A-22 Raptor in terms of complex airborne weapons systems.

With these systems, the AC-130U can operate at night and in bad weather, engaging multiple targets simultaneously. The AN/APG radar allows the targeting crew in the control booth to follow rounds all the way to the ground and make live corrections without having to wait for ground troops to spot and report back. The larger 25mm gun has a longer range and more power, allowing the AC-130U to stay higher and farther away from ground threats, and its 1,800 rounds per minute firing rate can decimate anything from enemy formations to light armored vehicles.

All of the weapons are now fixed on hydraulically-actuated, computer-trainable mounts, so that the new AC-130U can attack two targets over half a mile apart at the same time. With this upgrade also came a new call sign to reflect the increased capabilities of the new gunships; the AC-130U uses the call sign "Spooky."

These weapons and sensors are brought together an integrated in the Battle Management Center, a box-shaped area in what would be the cargo hold in a normal C-130. In it sit the Navigator, Fire Control Officer, Electronics Warfare Officer, and Sensor Operator.

Also, in times of need, the AC-130U can be fitted with the EIRS (Engine Infrared Suppression) to make it harder for infra-red SAMs to track. This is not standard equipment, however, as it decreases the aircraft's range and loiter time. Recent upgrades allow AC-130Us to receive live video feeds from unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (UAVs).

FMI: www.af.mil/news/factsheets/AC_130H_U_Gunship.html