Weapons
Boasting a lethal number of mini-guns, cannons and howitzers, the AC-130 Gunship has earned a reputation as one of the deadliest combat weapons on the planet.
A Transport Plane with Firepower 
The AC-130 is a modified version of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s C-130 transport plane. The aircraft gets its intimidating array of weapons from The Boeing Company, which is responsible for converting the transport plane into a gunship. The AC-130 is used in combat missions to provide support to other aircraft and soldiers fighting on the ground.
The U.S. Air Force is the only user of the AC-130 Gunship. The aircraft comes in two variants known as "Sceptre" and "Spooky." With a flight crew of 13 Air Force personnel and weapons ranging from 25 millimeter Gatling guns to 105 millimeter howitzers, the AC-130 has a reputation for delivering punishing assaults in combat zones.
In addition to its firepower, the AC-130 gunship has proved popular with the U.S. Air Force because of its ability to operate in adverse weather conditions and for long periods at night. Equipped with high-tech sensors, scanners and radar, the aircraft is able to distinguish between allied forces and enemy troops from great distances. This makes the AC-130’s accuracy one of the best among conventional military aircraft.
A Legacy that Began in Vietnam
The current model of the AC-130 Gunship has been used to fight enemy combatants in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. However, the aircraft got its start in the Vietnam War. The U.S. Air Force first developed the gunship to provide support to fighter jets and ground soldiers conducting missions in Laos and South Vietnam.
From its inception in 1967, the AC-130 Gunship proved extremely capable and popular – destroying, by some estimates, more than 10,000 enemy ground vehicles and thousands of enemy aircraft. Within a year of coming into service, there were enough AC-130 Gunships in Vietnam to form a squadron. The first AC-130 squadron was called the 16th Special Operations Squadron and went by the acronym "S.O.S."
More recently, the AC-130 Gunship has been used to provide firepower and support during the invasion of Panama in 1989, the first Gulf War in 1991, and present day operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Africa. The AC-130 Gunship has been used recently to remove al-Qaeda militants from difficult mountain terrain.
Upgrading to More Firepower
The AC-130 Gunship has been criticized for being too heavily armed and providing an overwhelming display of force. However, the Air Force Special Operations Command has moved in recent years to add more firepower to the aircraft.
In 2007, the U.S. Air Force announced that it wants to upgrade and add to the armaments on the AC-130 Gunship. There are plans to possibly replace the aircraft’s howitzers with 120 millimeter mortars and Hellfire missiles. There have also been discussions about adding Viper Strike Glide Bombs and an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System to the aircraft. Taken together, these additions would make the AC-130 Gunship an even more formidable piece of weaponry.
The U.S. Air Force has stated that it will begin a process in 2011 to purchase 16 new gunships. The new gunships will be Lockheed Martin C-130J transport planes modified to include what the military has called a "precision strike package." The U.S. Air Force has said that it will spend $1.6 billion to acquire the additional gunships between 2011 and 2015. With the new additions, the U.S. Air Forces’ fleet of gunships is expected to number 33 aircraft.
F-22
Nicknamed the Raptor, the F-22 is the most advanced and expensive fighter fielded by any air force in the world.
It is also the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. It entered service in December 2005 after 15 years of testing and development. During this process, the airframe was significantly redesigned and production numbers cut, as prototypes of the Raptor failed to meet Air Force expectations.
The jet performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The Raptor is state-of-the-art. It boasts the most capable radar fitted in an aircraft of its size: 62 feet long, with a wingspan of 44.5 feet. It can fly up to 1,600 miles per hour (Mach 2.42).
It’s also difficult to detect, with greater stealth capabilities than other aircraft. Technologies that make a plane “low-observable,” in the vocabulary of the Air Force, muffle noise and radio transmissions and lower the heat of its infrared picture. The angles of the wings and the tail of the Raptor are aligned in way that makes it harder to spot; the slope of the main body and the fact that its weapons can be carried inside also help make it less visible.
The F-22 also has more thrust and a sleeker design than other fighters, so it can hit the speed of sound without using afterburner, which slows and limits the range of aircraft that need to use it.
The jet can outmaneuver other aircraft because of its “sophisticated aerodesign, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio,” according to the Air Force.
The maiden flight of the original test model was made in September 1990, and the Air Force has since ordered around 400 of the fighter jets.
F-15
The Eagle
Nicknamed the Eagle, the F-15 has a Doppler radar system that can track targets both above and below and a windscreen that doubles as a display panel so a pilot needn’t look down to receive critical tracking and targeting information.
The Eagle is a two-seat tactical fighter, powered by two turbofan engines. It is supersonic, flying at a rate of 1,875 miles per hour (Mach 2.5) at an altitude of 65,000 feet. It is more than 63 feet long with a wingspan of nearly 43 feet.
Two design factors enable the F-15 to accelerate more rapidly and nimbly than other aircraft. In addition to a high thrust-to-weight ratio, it has low wing loading, which enables it to make tight turns without slowing down. The F-15 can be armed with a variety of air-to-air weapons, and it can be refueled mid-flight.
The Air Force fact sheet on the F-15 says its avionics system “includes a head-up display, advanced radar, inertial navigation system, flight instruments, ultra-high frequency communications, tactical navigation system and instrument landing system. It also has an internally mounted, tactical electronic-warfare system, ‘identification friend or foe’ system, electronic countermeasures set and a central digital computer.” The Air Force has more than 500 of the combat aircraft.
The first F-15 flight, involving the original model single-seater, took place in July 1972.
The most recent model, the F-15E, is called the Strike Eagle and sometimes the Beagle. It can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It can fly low, which enables the weapons officer to address ground targets while also identifying and striking at air threats.
The F-15E made its combat debut over Iraq in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, tracking down SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites in nighttime sweeps. The aircraft also have been deployed to monitor the no-fly zone in southern Iraq and have been used in Bosnia, Afghanistan and the current conflict in Iraq.
Joint STARS Mission
High over Iraq, an E-8C Joint STARS aircraft surveys hundreds of miles of the country at a time, looking for insurgent activity, controlling those situations and taking action if needed.
The aircraft's crew ultimately keeps ground troops safer by communicating with convoys and directing air power to quell the enemy.
The Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System mission has two parts. The first is to radio relay with convoys throughout Iraq. Through radio and a text-messaging system, convoys can contact Joint STARS for help.
Air National Guard Maj. Thomas Grabowski, senior director on the aircraft, deployed from Robins Air Force Base, Ga. He said the Joint STARS is the 911 call for convoys on the ground.
“So if one of these convoys gets in trouble -- they break down, they have troops in contact, small-arms fire or any type of a problem -- they call us,” Major Grabowski said. “We’re like the ‘On-Star’ for the ground commander.”
The second part of the mission is to deter insurgent activity on Iraq’s borders. Junior enlisted Airmen are in charge of the multimillion dollar radar attached to the bottom of the aircraft that zeros in on the enemy 100 to 200 miles away. Major Grabowski said the advanced system allows them to see the enemy without the enemy seeing them.
“Think about where you live at home and then think of a place 125 miles from that location. If you were to move out of your driveway and we were orbiting 125 miles away, we would see you move. So it’s that advanced,” the major said.
Joint STARS is truly a joint mission aircraft with Army, Air Force and Marine aircrew members. Air National Guard Airmen add total force flavor as well. Army Maj. Clifton Hughes, deputy mission crew commander, is also deployed from Robins. He said he works closely with Major Grabowski and the other Air Force folks on every Joint STARS mission.
“While the Army and Marines are keeping in close contact with convoy commanders, I can then coordinate with the Joint STARS Air Force assets on the aircraft to direct air support either as a show of force or to take out the enemy,” he said.
A typical mission can last from 10 to 20 hours in flight after refueling in the air. The aircraft brings such a capability to the fight that many convoys won’t go out on the road unless Joint STARS is airborne.
A total of $300 million worth of technology goes into this aircraft. What comes out is full-spectrum dominance and reconnaissance capability that ensures peace of mind to U.S. forces on the ground that someone is always watching their backs.
Robots of the Air Force
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL -- Pentagon officials and guests were treated to a demonstration of the remote detection challenge and response, or REDCAR, initiative June 23.
REDCAR uses unmanned robotic platforms to provide perimeter defense of Air Force bases and forward-deployed units.
“With REDCAR we can integrate a family of robots to secure an airfield and take the warfighter out of the initial line of attack,” said Capt. Adolfo Meana, chief of the Force Protection Battlelab’s concepts division at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. “The forces are kept in reserve to tactically move against the enemy. We put the robots in danger first and save troops’ lives.”
Operators control the robots from a safe location, such as an armored vehicle, using a laptop computer. They are able to manage many robots at the same time and can even pass control between operators.
Battlelab and Air Force Research Laboratory workers developed the REDCAR family of robotic vehicles.
The proof of concept demonstration included three robotic vehicles. The first was Scout, a rough-terrain vehicle that travels at up to 20 mph using preprogrammed navigation and obstacle avoidance. The Scout controller can issue voice commands to people it encounters through its Phraselator.
“Scout has up to 57 pre-programmed languages and can issue such police phrases as ‘halt, drop your weapon,’ etcetera” Captain Meana said. “However, we hope controllers will be able to speak directly through the Phraselator in the future.”
The Mobile Detection and Response System is another robot. It provides area surveillance and detects threats, with Scout acting as an interceptor.
The third robotic vehicle, called Matilda, is a small-scale, tracked vehicle that can be carried on MDARS. Matilda provides reconnaissance in limited-access areas, including under vehicles, aircraft, and inside buildings.
“The challenge is getting all the robots to work together,” said Walt Waltz, the laboratory’s chief of robotics research at Tyndall AFB, Fla. “Communication between the robots is key.”
During the demonstrations here, all three robots demonstrated scenarios. In one scenario, Scout detected and confronted an intruder trying to gain unauthorized access to the flightline. After the intruder refused to obey commands issued by the controller, he was disabled with a pepper spray system mounted on Scout. Another scenario featured Scout and MDARS detecting and defending against a guerrilla force trying to attack the base. During the attack, Scout used a precision-targeted M-16A2 rifle controlled from a remote location. Toward the end of the attack, Matilda was released from MDARS to search for attackers hiding in culverts.
Staff Sgt. Miguel Jimenez, assigned to the 325th Security Forces Squadron at nearby Hurlburt Field, is excited about the new technology.
“It will help out a lot having the robotic platforms alerting us to possible hostilities. It will provide an immediate visual assessment before we get there and we can use the weapon if necessary,” Sergeant Jimenez said.
Thunderbolt IIs have Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS), compatible single-seat cockpits forward of their wings and a large bubble canopy which provides pilots all-around vision. The pilots are encircled by titanium armor that also protects parts of the flight-control system. The redundant primary structural sections allow the aircraft to enjoy better survivability during close air support than did previous aircraft. The aircraft can survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23mm. Their self-sealing fuel cells are protected by internal and external foam. Their redundant hydraulic flight-control systems are backed up by manual systems. This permits pilots to fly and land when hydraulic power is lost.
