Internationale gunship ontwikkelingen

[Sparkplug]

New generation gunship arrives at Hurlburt

Pensacola News Journal | July 29, 2015

The first Air Force Special Operations Command AC-130J gunship made a historic entrance aboard Hurlburt Field on Wednesday — complete with a flyover and taxi underneath a fire truck water arch.

.../...

Zie onderstaande link voor het complete artikel.

http://www.pnj.com/story/news/military/2015/07/29/new-generation-gunship-arrives-hurlburt-field/30826905/

[Sparkplug]

USAF holding old gunships for laser demos

By James Drew, Washington DC | July 28, 2015

The US Air Force has kept some Lockheed Martin AC-130U gunships marked for retirement for use as directed energy weapon testbeds as the service pursues airborne lasers for offensive and defensive uses.

Maj Gen Jerry Harris, vice-chief of Air Combat Command, says a number of gunships that would have otherwise been sent to the boneyard are now being used to test emerging directed energy technologies, like lasers and microwave energy guns.

"We have a requirement for a minimum number of gunships," Harris said at a 28 July Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments directed energy summit in Washington. "We have some additional U-models we will fly longer for testbeds."

Lt Gen Bradley Heithold, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said at the event that he wants the new C-130J Ghostrider gunship being developed to have both an offensive airborne laser capability and "active denial system," which is a microwave energy heat blast used to disperse crowds or a single threat.

"We want to build the ultimate battle plane that can fight its way to its objective," the commander says.

While AFSOC's primary focus is gunship-based lasers, Air Combat Command is also pursuing the technology for fighters and bombers. Harris says the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle has "power to spare" and a testbed aircraft is available for experimentation.

He says the air force is looking for airborne lasers for integration into a standard pod or conformal tank for laser demonstrations. "It's past the time to test these in the labs; we need it in the field," he says.

Harris says laser weapons probably won't find their way onto the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter any time soon, but might be integrated in the future beyond the Block 4 rollout, which is due to add new capabilities to the fifth-generation jet from 2019 to 2025.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/usaf-holding-old-gunships-for-laser-demos-415101/

[Harald]

AFSOC AC-130 Gunships

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/afsoc-ac-130-gunships/

[Sparkplug]

AFSOC retires its last AC-130H Spectre gunship

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | May 28, 2015

The US Air Force's (USAF's) Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has retired from service the last of its Lockheed Martin AC-130H Spectre gunships after more than 45 years of service, it was announced on 28 May.

A ceremony marking the departure of aircraft 69-6569 'Excalibur' from the 16th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) of the 27th Special Operations Wing (SOW) was held at Cannon Air Force Base (AFB) in New Mexico on 26 May.

As the oldest type in AFSOC's gunship arsenal of AC-130H Spectre, AC-130U Spooky, and AC-130W Dragon Spear/Stinger II platforms, the AC-130H force of eight aircraft has been gradually drawn down over the past two years. However, despite being progressively withdrawn from service, the AC-130H has still been at the forefront of AFSOC's missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond. According to the USAF, the 16th SOS has flown more than 6,500 combat sorties during 26,000 combat hours, and has been responsible for over 4,600 enemy killed in action, along with over 5,200 enemy being captured, over the past 12 years.

The essential difference between the Spectre and Spooky platforms is that, in addition to the 40 mm Bofors cannon and 105 mm M102 Howitzer carried by both aircraft, the newer Spooky is also armed with a 25 mm Gatling gun. The AC-130W is essentially an MC-130W Combat Spear that has been equipped with a palletised precision-strike package (PSP), comprising a single 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster cannon, precision-guided munitions, and a single medium-calibre gun.

With the AC-130H now retired, AFSOC continues to field 17 AC-130Us, operated by the 4th SOS, 5th SOS, and 19th (Training) SOS of the 1st SOW at Hurlburt Field, and 12 AC-130W platforms operated from Cannon AFB by the 16th SOS, 73rd SOS, and 551st (Training) SOS of the 27th SOW.

As part of a wider MC/HC-130 re-capitalisation programme across AFSOC, the command is to receive 32 new AC-130J Ghostrider gunships by fiscal year 2021. Work to convert the first MC-130J Commando II into an AC-130J began in July 2012, with the type's initial operating capability set for later this year. Once the AC-130J is fully fielded, AFSOC's gunship fleet will comprise 49 AC-130U and AC-130J platforms (all 12 AC-130W Dragon Spear/Stinger II platforms will revert to their original MC-130W Combat Spear configuration).

http://www.janes.com/article/51851/afsoc-retires-its-last-ac-130h-spectre-gunship

[Sparkplug]

SOFIC 2015: US Air Force looks to future gunship modernisation

Scott R Gourley, Tampa, Florida - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | May 20, 2015

A number of enhancements are being planned or explored for Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC's) Lockheed Martin AC-130J gunships now entering fixed-wing inventories, including a 105 mm cannon, an offboard sensor, and a directed energy weapon.

The command's gunship fleet has decreased from a high of 37 platforms down to 29 following the recent retirement of 1960s-era AC-130H Spectre aircraft, Lieutenant General Bradley Heithold, commander of AFSOC, noted during 20 May remarks at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa, Florida.

"That's going down as we retire them," he said. "So we'll be going 'into a bathtub' for a while as we bring on the AC-130J."

http://www.janes.com/article/51603/sofic-2015-us-air-force-looks-to-future-gunship-modernisation

[Harald]

AC-130W pilots getting JHMCS II Helmet Mounted Display System
USSOCOM has decided to integrate the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) II on board the AC-130W.

http://alert5.com/2015/05/20/ac-130w-pilots-getting-jhmcs-ii-helmet-mounted-display-system/

[Harald]

IDEF 2015: Oto Melara showcases for the first time its 20 mm Gunship air-to-ground gun system

At IDEF 2015, which is held in Istanbul from 5-8 May, Italian company Oto Melara is showcasing for the first time the new 20mm Gunship for which commercial contacts with the Turkish aeronautic company TAI have already started. Gunship by Oto Melara is a palletized air-to-ground gun system, designed to be operated from military cargo aircraft, such as C130s (all versions), C27s or any other which has a standard military pallet (88'x108') capability.

In the present day stand-alone configuration, the Gunship system is self contained in a single cargo pallet, which carries the Vulcan 20mm Gatling gun mount and servos, a complete high-precision electro- optical Fire Control System (FCS), the gunner workstation, a 750 rds magazine (20x102mm linked), GPS reference, inertial system and all the electronics and power systems.

Total weight is 3.200lbs, including operator and a full magazine, but no ballistic protection. Gunship requires no integration or modifications to the aircraft: fire is through the left hand paratroop door and the pallet is secured to the floor with the existing locking levers.

The system is fully self-powered for about 30 minutes, but accepts gladly backup electric power from any cargo bay outlets (AC or DC), and is plugged to the aircraft ICS via standard connectors, also available in the bay. 
This means that Gunship can be rapidly loaded on board with a normal fork lift, connected to the aircraft in seconds so that a standard cargo aircraft is ready to operate as a Gunship in just a few minutes.

After the mission is completed, if needed, the pallet is easily off-loaded and the aircraft goes back to its standard cargo role: should the aircraft carrying Gunship fail before takeoff, the system shall be off-loaded in a few minutes and placed on board a serviceable one, and the mission not aborted.

Gunship is capable of very accurate air-to-ground fire and can deliver an impressive payload in a relatively short burst, owing to the Vulcan gun very high rate of fire (4.000 rounds per minute).

Whenever tactically desirable, the system can deliver also saturation fire over designated areas, thanks to the large number of ready to fire round.

The Gunship system has been developed with the financial backing of the R&D Department of the Italian MoD, in accordance with a Special Forces requirement for airborne precision/long endurance fire support.

Thanks to the excellent Oto Melara experience in gunnery, ballistics and system integration, the prototype has been completed in less than one year, and more than 1,000 test rounds were fired in the company range during system development.

Last October the Gunship prototype has been delivered to the Italian Air Force Flight Test facility in Pratica di mare (Rome) in order to be certified for flight (on the C27J) and test fired in an air-to- ground range: all these tests, weather permitting, should be completed by April 2015. Last third of March the system on board the C27J has been flown to the Italian Air Force air-to- ground range of Capo Frasca, in Sardinia, and test-fired airborne for the first time.

One dry and eleven hot runs were flown, 50 rds each, for a total of 550 rds fired in a single sortie., at altitudes from 1.500 to 3.700ft, up to a slant range of .9 Nautical mile (about 1.700 meters). Despite aiming was manual via the EO system, all bursts were observed on/around the target, quantitative evaluation through high speed videos and ground targets conditions is now in progress.

This test has been very successful, so following the quantitative analysis the system will be fine- tuned for precision (we expect a final CEP (50 percent of the rounds within this distance from target) lower than 4 meters at 2.000m slant range ( 5.000ft altitude, with projectile flight-path 50°-60° below the horizon) and a larger one from higher up, most likely 10-12 meters from 10.000ft. Following this tune-up we plan another hot sortie for the next month.

In the present configuration, the weapon (the 20mm Vulcan M61) has been carefully chosen for its high rate of fire, small dimensions and contained recoil forces (which can significantly affect the system precision); other guns were evaluated, but, in any case, for air-to-ground (as for air-to-air) Gatling type guns should be always preferred.

At present the only possible alternative is the 25mm GAU/12 or 22 Gatling gun, with longer range and increased payload delivery, but with significant system cost and increased total weight.

An external C4ISR interface with Satcom/tactical Data Link can provide the pilot/operator with abundant target data, maps, pictures, and deliver ground HQ videos of the mission/attack result.

A dedicated C4ISR palletized system is now under development by an Italian company, in order to provide the gunner with whatever info can maximise the mission effectiveness and perform as a command post for the Special Forces operation on the ground which Gunship is planned to support.

For larger aircraft, such as all the C130s, a higher capacity ammo magazine can be fitted (up to 1.500-2.000 ready to fire rounds, that is twice the present one) and more performing E/O sensors, without endangering the very flexible and tactically valuable stand-alone single-pallet configuration.


http://armyrecognition.com/idef_2015_show_daily_news_coverage_report/idef_2015_oto_melara_showcases_for_the_first_time_its_20_mm_gunship_air-to-ground_gun_system_0705154.html

[Zander]

MV-22 deploys tube-launched weapons during gunship tests
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly


The US Marine Corps (USMC) has tested the deployment of ramp-launched munitions from the Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor under wider plans to equip the aircraft with a gunship capability, it was announced earlier in April.

The tests, which were conducted in late March under the auspices of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme, saw an MV-22 launch both the Raytheon Griffin missile and the AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munition from tubes located on the ramp.

According to DARPA, the MV-22 launched an inert AGM-17 Griffin air-to-surface missile from a range of 9 km from the target, scoring a hit. No details pertaining to the Switchblade launch were released.

The trials of the two aft-firing munitions come on the back of a successful demonstration of the Osprey's forward-firing capabilities. In December 2014, another MV-22 fired a 70 mm rocket from a launch tube mounted on a 'cheek' fairing on the aircraft's left side, just beneath the pilot's side window.

The USMC is looking to arm its MV-22 aircraft so as to reduce its reliance on the Forward Arming and Refueling Points (FARPs) needed to support attack helicopters, such as the Bell AH-1Z Viper.

The gunship is one of a number of special mission variants envisaged for the V-22, with others being aerial refuelling (already demonstrated), command and control, surveillance, and executive transport.

The USMC is to receive 360 MV-22s once deliveries are complete.

[Elzenga]

Niet alle inzetten worden openbaar gemaakt. Het zou mij niets verbazen dat er meer wapensystemen en eenheden worden ingezet dan wij weten.

Dat denk ik ook ja...dus het zou me niet verbazen als ze wel actief zijn... boven Irak.

[Zander]

Niet alle inzetten worden openbaar gemaakt. Het zou mij niets verbazen dat er meer wapensystemen en eenheden worden ingezet dan wij weten.

[Elzenga]

Wat ik nu niet begrijp is dat er geen Gunships boven Irak of Syrie worden ingezet om IS vast te zetten en daarna A-10's erop gooien, dan wordt er een flinke slachting op de troepen van IS gehouden en het is goed voor het moreel van de Koerden.

weet je zeker dat ze niet actief zijn boven beide landen?

[Ace1]

Wat ik nu niet begrijp is dat er geen Gunships boven Irak of Syrie worden ingezet om IS vast te zetten en daarna A-10's erop gooien, dan wordt er een flinke slachting op de troepen van IS gehouden en het is goed voor het moreel van de Koerden.

[Harald]

Ghostrider's Big Gun: AC-130J Gets 105 ASAP; Laser Later

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. Gen. Bradley Heithold, decided the new model, the AC-130J Ghostrider, had to have the 105 instead of relying on missiles.

.....

voor de rest van het artikel, zie LINK

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/01/ghostriders-big-gun-ac-130j-gets-105-asap-laser-later/

[Harald]

Gunship roll-on roll-off pallet system ... Harvest Hawk

Praetorian Proof   (pallet systeem C-27J is gelijk aan het systeem voor de C-130 Hercules)

August 16, 2014

The Italian manufacturer of the 28 ton C-27J air transport has successfully completed testing a gunship version called the MC-27J Praetorian. This conversion system is based on mounting n 30mm automatic cannon and fire control system on pallets of the type usually used in the C-37J to carry and load cargo. Night vision sensors, laser designators and high-rez vidcams are in a turret that is attached under the nose of the aircraft. Still to come are tests with guided missiles (like Hellfire, 70mm, and other small ones like Griffin) launched from hard points on the wings. This system is designed for quick installation and allows a C-27J to be quickly converted to a MC-27J gunship by loading the pallets and attaching the missile launchers and sensor turret to the outside of the aircraft.

The C-27J can carry three HCU-6/E pallets. Each is 224 cm (88 inches) wide, 274 cm (108 inches) long, and 57mm (2.25 inches) high and can carry up to 4.5 tons. The pallets are loaded via the rear ramp. The Praetorian testing is to be completed by 2015 and Italian special operations forces are to receive three of them by 2016.

This use of palletized systems is not new. Back in 2008, the air force portion of U.S. SOCOM (AFSOC, Air Force Special Operations Command) looked into using light (two engine) C-27J transports for "light gunships." This twin-engine aircraft can carry 9 tons for up to 2,500 kilometers and land on smaller airfields than the four engine transports can handle. SOCOM planned to take a C-27J and mount one or two 30mm automatic cannon on it, along with the AC-130 gunship sensors and communications gear, as well as guided missiles. Called the "AC-XX", this C-27J experiment didn't work out (mainly for political reasons) and SOCOM stuck with the AC-130. The Italians feel there might be an international market for a twin engine gunship using the American system of pallets to quickly convert a transport into a gunship. 

Meanwhile, U.S. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) has equipped and deployed 14 similar MC-130W "Dragon Spear" gunships since 2010. The first MC-130W arrived in Afghanistan in late 2010, and a month later it had fired one of its weapons (a Hellfire missile) for the first time (killing five Taliban). Getting 14 new gunships into action so quickly was only possible because SOCOM adopted an idea developed by the U.S. Marine Corps: the "instant gunship." Called "Harvest Hawk," the marine instant gunship system works using weapons and sensors that can be quickly rolled into a C-130 transport and hooked up. This takes a few hours and turns the C-130 into a gunship (similar in capabilities existing on AC-130 gunships). The sensor package consists of day/night vidcams with magnification capability. The weapons currently consist of 10 Griffin missiles and 4 Hellfires. A 30mm autocannon is optional.

The 15.6 kg (34.5 pound) Griffin had earlier entered service in Afghanistan aboard UAVs. The older Hellfire II weighs 48.2 kg (106 pounds), carries a 9 kg (20 pound) warhead, and has a range of 8,000 meters. The Griffin has a 5.9 kg (13 pound) warhead which is larger, in proportion to its size, than the one carried by the heavier Hellfire. Griffin has pop-out wings, allowing it to glide and thus has a longer range (15 kilometers) than Hellfire. UAVs can carry more of the smaller missiles, typically two of them in place of one Hellfire.

This use of missiles instead of cannon has allowed for a major change in how gunships are used. As a result, in 2011 SOCOM, for the first time since the Vietnam War, allowed its MC-130 gunships to operate in daytime. For the last four decades it was believed too dangerous for these low, slow flying, heavily armed aircraft to operate when the sun was up. The key to this change is the use of missiles by gunships. The new, small missiles enable the slow, large, MC-130s to operate above the range of ground fire and still hit their targets.

Dragon Spear is based on the earlier Harvest Hawk system, which enabled marine KC-130J tankers to be transformed into a gunship, with the addition of the portable weapons and sensors. The marines had long noted the success of the U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunships that SOCOM (Special Operations Command) uses. But they couldn't afford them, as an AC-130 costs more than three times as much as a marine KC-130J aerial refueling aircraft. But the marines developed a solution. This is something the marines often do.

The KC-130J is the latest, and largest, USMC version of the C-130 transport used for aerial refueling. The KC-130J can also carry cargo and weapons (bombs and missiles) hung from the wings. Thus the Harvest Hawk version of the KC-130J adds a targeting pod, with the data going to a special cargo container containing control equipment (computers, commo, and displays) enabling operators use of the day/night sensors of the targeting pod, to fire missiles hung from the wings. The SOCOM version is the MC-130W.

The original plan was to have a 30mm Bushmaster cannon fired out the door, so that there would be gunfire support as well. But this was made optional, as the 14 missiles seemed to provide sufficient firepower. It also means less for Harvest Hawk to carry. The Mk44 30mm Bushmaster cannon weighs 157 kg (344 pounds) and fires at 200 or 400 rounds per minute (up to 7 per second). The cannon has 160 rounds available, before needing a reload. That means the gunner has 25-50 seconds worth of ammo, depending on rate of fire used. Each 30mm round weighs about 714 g (25 ounces, depending on type). Explosive anti-personnel rounds are fired when used in gunships. The fire control system, and night vision sensors, enable the 30mm gunners to accurately hit targets with high explosive shells. Existing SOCOM AC-130 gunships are armed with a 105mm howitzer and a 25mm and 40mm automatic cannon. But the two smaller caliber guns are being phased out of military service. The air force is considering equipping its gunships just with smart bombs and missiles. 

The big thing with gunships is their sensors, not their weapons. Operating at night, the gunships can see what is going on below, in great detail. Using on-board weapons, gunships can immediately engage targets. But with the appearance of smart bombs (GPS and laser guided), aerial weapons are more available to hit any target that is found. So Harvest Hawk would be able to hit targets that were "time sensitive" (had to be hit before they got away) but could also call on smart bombs or laser guided missiles for targets that weren't going anywhere right away. Most of what Harvest Hawk does in Afghanistan is look for roadside bombs or the guys who plant them. These the marines want to track back to their base and then take out an entire roadside bomb operation.

Ultimately, the air force and SOCOM see the potential for the Harvest Hawk/Dragon Spear approach replacing custom built AC-130 gunships. There would still be a need for specially trained gunship crews. But they, and the several cargo containers of Harvest Hawk gear, could be held ready to go wherever they are most needed. Cargo aircraft serving as gunships first appeared, using twin-engine World War II era C-47 transports, in the 1960s over Vietnam. The troops called the gunships, which liked to operate at night, "Spooky." The gunships quickly moved to four engine C-130 transports but the nickname stuck.

http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/Praetorian-Proof-8-16-2014.asp

[Huzaar1]

Ja en de KM heeft ook 30mm op hun schepen staan. Alsof je standaardisatie zo ver door moet willen trekken... Je slaat die 30mm toch gewoon op bij de basis waar die dingen gestationeerd staan, heeft de KL helemaal niks mee van doen verder.

Mits goed onderhouden met top munitie is een chain gun koning.
Zeer betrouwbaar in dat geval en de vuursnelheid is bewonderingswaardig.
Nogmaals, mits er geld tegenaan gegooid wordt.