I-Aircraft enezinqola ezingathandeki
I-Plane Yokuthutha Ngomlilo
I-AC-130 inguqulo eguquliwe yezindiza zezokuthutha zikaCheheed Martin Corp. Indizayitha ithola izinhlamvu zayo ezisabisayo ezivela ku-The Boeing Company, okuyinto enesibopho sokuguqula indiza yokuthutha ibe isibhamu.
I-AC-130 isetshenziselwa ukuthunyelwa ukulwa ukuhlinzeka ukwesekwa kwezinye izindiza namasosha elwa phansi.
I-US Air Force iyona kuphela umsebenzisi we-AC-130 Gunship. Lezindiza izahlukahluka ezimbili ezibizwa ngokuthi "Intonga" futhi "Spooky." Ngabantu abashayeli bezindiza abangu-13 base-Air Force kanye nezikhali ezivela ku-25 millimeter uGagling izibhamu kuya ku-105-millimeter abagibeli bezimoto, i-AC-130 idumile ngokuletha izijeziso ezihlaselweni zokulwa.
Ngaphandle kokwenza umlilo, isibhamu se-AC-130 siye sabonakala sithandwa yi-US Air Force ngenxa yokukwazi ukusebenza ezimweni ezimbi zezulu nangesikhathi eside ebusuku. Ehlomele ama-sensor high-tech, amaskena kanye ne-radar, indiza ikwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi kwamabutho ally kanye namabutho ezitha ezivela kude. Lokhu kwenza ukunemba kwe-AC-130 kube okunye okuhle phakathi kwezindiza ezivamile zempi.
Ifa elaqala eVietnam
Imodeli yamanje ye-AC-130 Gunship isetshenziselwe ukulwa nabalandeli bezitha e-Iraq, e-Afghanistan naseSomalia.
Noma kunjalo, indiza yaqala ekuqaleni kweMpi YeVietnam. I-US Air Force yaqala ukuthuthukisa isibhamu ukuze ihlinzeke ukusekela ama-jet fighter namasosha asemhlabeni aqhuba imisebenzi eLosos naseNingizimu Vietnam.
Kusukela ekuqaleni kwawo ngo-1967, i-AC-130 Gunship yafakazela ngokusemandleni kakhulu futhi idumile - ngokubhubhisa, ngokulinganiselwa okunye, izimoto ezingaphezu kuka-10 000 zomhlaba izitha kanye nezinkulungwane zezindiza zesitha.
Phakathi nonyaka wokungena enkonzweni, kwakukhona okwanele i-AC-130 Gunship eVietnam ukwakha iqembu. I-squadron yokuqala ye-AC-130 ibizwa ngokuthi yi-16 Special Operations Squadron futhi yahamba ngesiqu esithi "SOS"
Muva nje, i-AC-130 Gunship isetshenziselwe ukuhlinzeka ngempi nokusekela ngenkathi kuhlasela iPanama ngo-1989, iMpi YeGulf yokuqala ngo-1991, kanye nemisebenzi yosuku lwamanje e-Iraq, e-Afghanistan nasezingxenyeni zase-Afrika. I-AC-130 Gunship isetshenzisiwe muva nje ukususa izithandani zase-al-Qaeda ezivela endaweni enzima yezintaba.
Ukuthuthukiswa ku-Firepower Ngini
I-AC-130 Gunship igxeke ngenxa yokuthi ihlomile kakhulu futhi ihlinzeka ngokubonakala okukhulu kwamandla. Kodwa-ke, i-Air Force Special Operations Command isithuthele eminyakeni yamuva ukuthi ingeza amandla amaningi emlilweni.
Ngo-2007, i-US Air Force yamemezela ukuthi ifuna ukuthuthukisa futhi ingeza ezandleni ze-AC-130 Gunship. Kunezinhlelo zokuthi zingashintsha imithwalo yezingqwembe zezindiza ezinamatshe angama-120-millimeter kanye nemicibisholo yesihogo somlilo. Kuye kwaba nezingxoxo mayelana nokwengeza amabhomu ama-Viper Strike Glide kanye ne-Advanced Precision Kill System Weapon kusiza. Ukuhlanganiswa ndawonye, lezi zengezo zingenza i-AC-130 Gunship ibe isikhali esiyingozi kakhulu nakakhulu.
I-US Air Force ibike ukuthi izoqala inqubo ngo-2011 ukuthenga izibhamu ezingu-16 ezintsha. Izibhamu ezintsha zizoba yi-Lockheed Martin C-130J izindiza zokuthutha eziguqulelwe ukufaka lokho okushiwo yizempi ngokuthi "iphakheji yokucacisa isiteleka." I-US Air Force ithi izochitha imali eyizigidi eziyi-1.6 zamaRandi ukuze ithole izibhamu ezengeziwe phakathi kuka-2011 no-2015. Ngezengezo ezintsha, izimoto zamabhomu e-US Air Forces kulindeleke ukuba zibale izindiza ezingu-33.