AFSOC AC-130J gunship to fire laser weapon in flight test in 2023
Flight demos will take place in summer or fall 2023, but it remains unclear whether development will turn into a bonafide program of record.
Commandos Buying Thousands of Small Missiles That Pack A Bigger Punch Than Hellfires
As counterterrorism missions show no signs of slowing down and civilian casualties always a worry, the commando command is turning to a light, guided munition to chase down fast-moving targets.
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Breaking the Pentagon’s new bottleneck of time
As threats evolve, the winning model ties digital engineering to manufacturing capacity and a reindustrialized supply chain.
AC-130 To Get Laser Guns & Air-Launched Drones: Heithold
WASHINGTON: Lt. Gen. Brad Heithold, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command, wants to make the AC-130 a kind of flying aircraft carrier, launching mini-drones mid-flight to scope out threats and targets. Oh, and he wants the AC-130 to have a laser cannon as well. Speaking to the Association of Old Crows’ annual conference on electronic […]
AFSOC Rebuilds Air Breathing Fleet Under New CO, Lt. Gen. Heithold
Still in his first year as leader of Air Force Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold has lots of plans, but they no longer include replacing AFSOC’s U-28A manned surveillance aircraft with MC-12W Liberty spy planes. “There was discussion about moving to the Liberty birds,” Heithold told an audience at the Air Force Association […]
Ghostrider’s Big Gun: AC-130J Gets 105 ASAP; Laser Later
WASHINGTON: Sometimes smart bombs aren’t the smart choice. Sometimes you just need a big bad flying gun. That’s why the aging AC-130 gunship is still revered by ground troops for its ability to fire a 105mm cannon — a weapon normally mounted on light tanks. That’s why the head of Air Force Special Operations Command, Lt. […]