In Night Hunters, air power historian William P. Head provides the first detailed study of the development and deployment of the AC-130 gunship. While other airframes and other types of close air support (CAS) and interdiction weapon systems preceded or flew with the AC-130s, this four-engine cargo airframe proved to be not only the longest serving fixed-wing gunship but also the most effective by far. During the Vietnam War, the US military developed new tactics and weapons systems to counter a diversity of enemy tactics and geographic features, the difficult climate, a.

Front Cover; Contents; List of Illustrations; Preface; Introduction; 1. The Origins of the US Fixed-Wing Gunships in Vietnam; 2. The AC-119G/K Gunship Program: An Overview; AC-119G; AC-119K in flight; 3. A Wondrous Variety: Moving Towards the Spectre; First Lady crew in Vietnam; AC-130 prototype; 4. Final Production and Deployment; Operations in Vietnam; Early AC-130 cockpit, pilot's position; AC-130A, tail number 54-1629, in 1969; 5. Expansion of the AC-130 Fleet: It Really Was a Surprise Package; Surprise Package; AC-130, tail number 69-6569; Emblem of the 16th Special Operations Squadron. 6. Development and Deployment of the New AC-130sAC-130H's big gun lights up the night sky; Various sizes of ordnance used aboard fixed-wing gunships; 7. The War Grinds On; AC-130 night fire; 8. Linebacker I and II: America's Involvement Winds Down; Crewing the 105mm gun; 9. "Goodbye Vietnam!": The AC- 130s Transition; AC-130 commencing attack orbit; AC-130 on a training mission; 10. AC- 130s and the Birth of US Special Operations Command; AC-130 dispensing flares and chaff to confuse enemy SAMs; 11. The Early 1990s: The Persian Gulf to Somalia; Later model AC-130 cockpit. Ghost Rider undergoing field maintenance12. The Late 1990s: Repair, Upgrade, and a New Model; AC-130 on final approach; 13. AC- 130s on the Fringes: Kosovo and Operation Allied Force; AC-130 up close and very personal; 14. Operation Enduring Freedom; AC-130 coming on station at twilight; 15. Operation Iraqi Freedom; Capture of Saddam Hussein; AC-130U in Iraq preparing for takeoff; 16. Recent Events, Modifi cations, and Policy Decisions; 4th Special Operations Squadron patch; Conclusion: Some Final Thoughts about the Night Hunters; Notes; Glossary of Acronyms; Bibliography; Index.