C-130 Hercules

AC-130 Spectre ("Spooky" or "Puff") Gunship

MC-130 Combat Talon Ejecting Self-Defensive Anti-AAM Flares

The C-130 Hercules has been an aircraft boasting of one of the largest production runs of any aircraft in the Lockheed stable. The uses of this aircraft were not predictable from its rather austere beginnings as a short field takeoff cargo aircraft in what was previously known as the Material Airlift Command. As a MAC transport, C-130s spanned the globe moving cargo from San Francisco to Guam to Japan in a relentless daily effort to support at first the occupation of Japan and then the transistion to today's current U.S. military presence in that country. C-130s had caught the eye of the Army, the U.S. Marines, the Army and Air Force Reserves, the National Guard, and even the Coast Guard.

Soon even organizations like the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration were buying them. One reason of course is their short landing and takeoff capability, the other is the fact it is such a stable aircraft, both in terms of its flyability as well as stablility of design engineering that has made maintenance a well known quantity, and with most every replacement part in ready availability if not in on-hand inventory. The Hercules has great utility in terms of cargo carrying ability, and is quite economic to operate.

If you key in on another aspect of the stable platform feature, you will also understand why there are things such as AC-130H derivatives. Chosen for its stability in the air, the C-130 based AC-130H design was first used by U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam. By mounting a 105mm howitzer, two 20mm Vulcan cannon and one 40mm cannon, the Air Force built an extremely versatile, loiterable gunship called the "Spectre". The original AC-130H had two 7.62mm miniguns and an extra 40mm cannon instead of the howitzer mounted, and was codenamed "Puff" for "Puff the Magic Dragon". This was most likely due to its visage during nightime operations, spitting fire, actually tracer rounds. When explosive shells were used, the ground even seemed to light up, catching on fire as the "dragon" breathed fire down on the enemy emplacements or convoys.

Other uses include the EC-130E ABCCC (Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center), the EC-130E "Volant Solo" PSYOP broadcast aircraft flown by the 193d Special Operations Group, the EC-130H "Compass Call" communications jammer, HC-130H Special Operations night vision equipped aircraf, the MC-130H "Combat Talon II" a low altitude penetration transport used by the 1st, 7th, and 8th Special Operations Squadrons, and the WC-130H weather reconaissance aircraft. The 130s are all listed below (see the MILNET Briefing on Special Operations Aircraft more information):

C-130 transport command's short field takeoff transport
AC-130A SOF Gunship, 2 40mm Cannon, 2 20mm cannon, 2 7.64 miniguns. Equipped with FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) sensors and low-light-level TV.
AC-130H/U SOF Gunship, 1 105mm howitzer, 1 40mm cannon, and 2 20mm cannon. Equipped with interial guidance and GPS navigation equipment, in-air refueling probe, FLIR, and low-light-level TV.
AC-130U SOF Gunship, 1 105mm howitzer, 1 40mm cannon, and 2 20mm cannon. Equipped with interial guidance and GPS navigation equipment, in-air refueling probe, an advanced fire control system, AN/APG-180 fire control radar, FLIR, and low-light-level TV.
EC-130E SOF, USAF "Volant Solo" PSYOP broadcast equipment, same as or a variant of the EC-130E/J Commander Solo aircraft.
EC-130H USAF "Compass Call" communications jammer equipment, operated by the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ.
HC-130H SOF Low level or night vision equipped with communications, navigation, and countermeasures equipment.
MC-130E SOF "Combat Talon I", low level penetration missions of the 1st, 7th, and 8th SOS (Special Operations Squadrons - USSOCOM)
MC-130H USAF, USMC, "Combat Talon II" derivative, US Army features explosive resistant fuel cells, in-air refueling, used in Special Ops (USSOCOM)
WC-130H USAF Special weather radar version.

Future Updates: The following are systems upgrades due on the C-130 (as of 1991)

AWADS (Adverse Weather Aerial Delivery System),
ESKE (Enhanced Station Keeping Equipment),
GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System),
SCNS (Self Contained Navigation Equipment),
SOLL (Special Operations Low Level) gear,
SVC (Secure Voice Capability).

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