The Air Force's latest AC-130J Ghostrider gunship sits on the flightline at Hurlburt Field, Fla. (Oriana Pawlyk/Military.com)
DoD Buzz: Special Operators Predict AC-130J Will Be 'Most Requested' Aircraft
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- "That's the sound America makes when she's angry."
That's how Col. Tom Palenske, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, characterized the AC-130 gunship after two aircraft fired hundreds of rounds from their 40mm and 105mm cannons and 25mm Gatling gun in the skies above A-77, a range specially made for target practice.
Palenske, also the installation commander here, says crews can't wait for the next best thing: the AC-130J Ghostrider.
"It's going to be awesome. It's our big gun truck. It's going to have more powerful engines, a more efficient fuel rate, and also has a more precise fuel capability so you know exactly how much gas you've got on board," he said.
Palenske caught up with Military.com during a tour of Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft and a live-fire training exercise on ranges used by Hurlburt and neighboring Eglin Air Force Base as part of Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson’s recent trip to AFSOC.
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Update #1: Air Force On The New AC-130 Gunship: ‘That’s The Sound America Makes When She’s Angry’ (Task & Purpose)
Update #2: This airborne weapon makes the A-10's gun look like a cute little pop gun (We Are The Mighty)
WNU Editor: These gunships are a high profile target for U.S. adversaries .... Air Force gunships in Syria are being jammed by 'adversaries' rendering them blind and unable to help under-siege troops, special ops general says (Daily Mail).
