AC-130 Spectre

The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

AC-130 Spectre

The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact, convoy escort and urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include air base defense and facilities defense. (U.S. Air Force photo)

AC-130 Spectre

The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection. 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 loiter periods, at night and in adverse weather. (Photo: U.S. Air Force photo)

AC-130 Spectre

Air Force AC-130 gunships struck al Qaeda targets in Somalia Jan. 8, news sources reported last night. Press reports said the AC-130 attacks hit an area called Ras Kamboni, a heavily forested area near the Kenyan border. The area is allegedly a terror training base. The AC-130 gunship's primary missions are close-air support, air interdiction and force protection. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

AC-130H Spectre

An AC-130H Gunship aircraft from the 16th Special Operations Squadron out of Hurlburt Field, Fla., jettisons flares as an infrared countermeasure during multigunship formation egress training Aug. 24. (Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

AC-130 Spectre

An AC-130U gunship jettisons flares Aug. 20 over an area near Hurlburt Field, Fla. The flares are a countermeasure for heat-seeking missiles that may be fired at the aircraft during real world missions. (Photo: U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

AC-130 Spectre

An AC-130 Spectre from the 16th Special Operations Squadron flies a training mission Aug. 11, 2010, at Cannon Air Force Base, N. M. (Photo: U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Jack Braden)