![]() Victory was accomplished in a few weeks and Kuwait was set free of the foreign invader. In the following January, the allies launched the actual war known as Desert Storm following the Desert Shield build-up. Both the AC-130A and AC-130H gunships were part of the international force assembled in the Persian Gulf region to drive out of Kuwait which Saddam Hussein had invaded in early August 1990. All objectives were quickly accomplished and democracy was restored to Panama.ĭuring Operation Desert Storm, Spectres provided air base defense and close air support for ground forces. The fighting was opened by a gunship attack on the military headquarters of the dictator of Panama and the Both the H-models and A-models played key roles. As the only close air support platform in the theater, Spectres were credited with saving the lives of many friendly personnel. The gunships had a primary role during Operation Just Cause in Panama by destroying Panamanian Defense Force Headquarters and numerous command and control facilities by surgical employment of ordnance in an urban environment. This enabled the successful assault of Point Salines airfield via airdrop and airland of friendly forces. AC-130s suppressed enemy air defense systems and attacked ground forces during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. One drawback to using the AC-130 is that it is typically only used in night assaults because of its poor maneuverability and limited orientations relative to the target during attack.ĭuring Vietnam War, gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many life-saving close air support missions. The AC-130 has been used effectively for over thirty years to take out ground defenses and targets. These heavily armed aircraft incorporate side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor, navigation and fire control systems to provide surgical firepower or area saturation during extended periods, at night and in adverse weather. Other missions include perimeter and point defense, escort, landing, drop and extraction zone support, forward air control, limited command and control, and combat search and rescue. The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.
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