During the Vietnam War, a unique type of specialized combat aircraft was created in the United States, the main task of which was to fight partisan formations, mainly at night. The concept of this armed aircraft, which received the name "gunship" (English Gunship - an artillery ship), implemented in 1964, implied the installation of powerful machine-gun armament on one side. The fire is conducted when the plane is in a bend, and the target is, as it were, in the center of a huge imaginary crater.
Initially, the AC-47 aircraft was the carrier of machine gun armament of 7, 62 mm caliber, the base for which was the well-known military transport S-47. The licensed version of this machine is known in the USSR under the name Li-2.
After the rather successful use of the first "gunships" in the specific conditions of Indochina, the American military expressed a desire to get faster and more lifting vehicles with larger caliber weapons. The base for such aircraft was military transport: S-119 and S-130. The caliber of the small arms and cannon armament installed on them increased continuously. Rifle-caliber machine guns replaced the 20-mm automatic cannons with the AS-119. On the four-engine turboprop AC-130 in 1972, they were supplemented by a 40-mm Bofors L / 60 and a 105-mm howitzer. The aircraft were equipped with the most modern search and sighting and navigation systems for that time.
The following tasks were assigned to the "ganships": direct air support of the troops; patrolling and disrupting enemy communications; strikes against previously identified enemy targets or targets for which target designation is received during patrolling; ensuring the defense of their bases and important facilities at night.
As the experience of military operations showed, the "gunships" operated very successfully at night in areas where there were no air defense systems and anti-aircraft guns with radar guidance. Attempts to use "gunships" over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, well covered by air defense means, led to serious losses. Also, at the final stage of the conflict, the experience of their use against units armed with small arms in the daytime turned out to be unsuccessful. In 1972, even small Viet Cong detachments often had Soviet-made Strela-2 MANPADS. The last downed aircraft of the Vietnam War was the AS-119 gunship of the South Vietnamese Air Force, which was hit by a MANPADS missile during the day.
After the completion of the "Vietnamese epic" in the US Air Force, aircraft of the AC-130H modification remained in service. The end of hostilities left them without work for a long time, the crews spent ammunition only during training firing at ranges. The opportunity to shoot from onboard guns at real targets was next presented in October 1983 during the US invasion of Grenada. The Gunships suppressed several batteries of small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery, and also provided fire cover for the landing of the Marines.
The next operation with their participation was the "Just Cause" - the US invasion of Panama. In this operation, the AC-130 targets were Rio Hato and Paitilla airbases, Torrigos / Tosamen airport and Balboa port, as well as a number of separate military facilities. The fighting did not last long - from December 20, 1989 to January 7, 1990. The planes acted as if they were on a training ground. The US military called this operation a "gunship" operation. The almost complete absence of air defense and the very limited territory of the conflict made the AC-130 "kings of the air." For the aircrews, the war turned into training flights with gunfire. In Panama, the crews of the "gunships" practiced tactics that have become classic: two aircraft entered a bend in such a way that at a certain point in time they were at two opposite points of the circle, while all their fire converged on the surface of the earth in a circle with a diameter of 15 meters, destroying literally everything that turned out to be in the sector of the firing of guns. During the fighting, the planes flew in the daytime.
AS-130N
Conditions in Iraq during Desert Storm were quite different. There were 4 AC-130N aircraft from the 4th squadron, which flew 50 sorties, the total flight time exceeded 280 hours. The main goal of the "gunships" was the destruction of ballistic missile launchers "Scud", radar for detecting air targets and Iraqi communications. But they did not cope with the assigned tasks. During the operation, it turned out that in the desert, in the heat and the air saturated with sand and dust, the infrared systems of the aircraft were completely incapacitated, they simply gave one big flare on the screens. Moreover, one AS-130N during a combat mission to support ground forces in the battle for Al-Khafi was shot down by an Iraqi air defense system, the entire crew of the aircraft was killed. This loss confirmed the truth known since the days of Vietnam - in areas saturated with air defense systems, such aircraft have nothing to do.
In 1987, a new modification of the "flying gunboat" appeared - the AC-130U. By order of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), the aircraft was developed by Rockwell International. It differs from previous modifications in increased combat capabilities due to more advanced electronic equipment and weapons. In total, by the beginning of 1993, 12 AC-130U aircraft were delivered, which were supposed to replace the AC-130N in the regular air force. Like previous modifications, the AC-130U was created by re-equipping the C-130H Hercules military transport aircraft. The armament of the AC-130U includes a five-barreled 25-mm cannon (3,000 rounds of ammunition, a rate of fire of 6,000 rounds per minute), a 40-mm cannon (256 rounds) and a 105-mm (98 rounds). All guns are movable, so pilots do not need to strictly maintain the trajectory of the aircraft to ensure the required firing accuracy. Despite the large mass of the 25-mm cannon itself (compared to the 20-mm Vulcan cannon) and its ammunition, it provides an increased muzzle velocity and mass of projectiles, thereby increasing the range and effectiveness of fire.
The aircraft was equipped with a wide range of sighting, navigation and electronic equipment, which was supposed to increase the strike potential of the AC-130U, including when it performs combat missions in adverse weather conditions and at night. To ensure good performance of crew members during long flights, there are rest areas for crew members in the soundproofed compartment behind the cockpit.
AC-130U
The AC-130U aircraft was equipped with air refueling and built-in control systems, as well as removable armor protection, which is installed in preparation for highly dangerous missions. According to American experts, due to the use of promising high-strength composite materials based on boron and carbon fibers, as well as the use of Kevlar, the mass of the armor can be reduced by about 1000 kg (compared to metal armor). Particular attention was paid to equipping the aircraft with effective systems of electronic countermeasures to air defense weapons and the release of false targets.
The updated version of the "gunship" was successfully tested in the 90s in the Balkans and Somalia. In the 2000s, these machines successfully operated in Iraq and Afghanistan.
However, it seemed to many that the time of "winged battleships" was coming to an end. In the American Congress, against the backdrop of enthusiasm for "precision weapons", debates began on the need to decommission existing machines and stop funding for the construction of new ones.
In addition, a new "superweapon" has appeared - combat armed remotely controlled drones capable of patrolling for a long time, delivering high-precision strikes against identified targets. The progress achieved in the field of miniaturization of electronics and the creation of new lightweight and durable composite materials has made it possible to create unmanned remotely piloted striking vehicles with acceptable characteristics. The main advantages of the UAV are, of course, remote control, which eliminates the risk of death or capture of the pilot and lower operating costs.
UAV MQ-9 Reaper
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Middle East became the main region for the combat use of American unmanned aerial vehicles. In the operations of the American armed forces in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, UAVs, in addition to reconnaissance, carried out target designation of weapons of destruction, and in some cases attacked the enemy with their onboard weapons.
The first attack UAV was the reconnaissance MQ-1 Predator, equipped with AGM-114C Hellfire missiles. In February 2002, this unit first struck an SUV allegedly owned by Osama bin Laden's accomplice, Mullah Mohammed Omar.
With the help of drones, a real hunt for the leaders of al-Qaeda was organized. A number of al-Qaeda commanders in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen were eliminated in the "pinpoint strikes".
However, strikes on Pakistani territory, which killed "civilians", sparked numerous protests. Under pressure from the Pakistani side, the Americans were forced to withdraw their MQ-9 Reaper from Pakistan, where they were based at the Shamsi airfield.
During the operation of the UAV, the weaknesses of this weapon were also revealed. Despite the predictions of many "experts", the drones were unable to fully perform most of the tasks of combat aviation. These devices, absolutely necessary and useful in their niche, were in demand primarily as means of reconnaissance and observation in specific conditions of the fight against various Islamic "terrorist groups" that do not possess modern anti-aircraft weapons and electronic warfare equipment. But in terms of their strike potential, the UAV's armament remained very limited, during real combat missions, as a rule, they carried an ammunition load consisting of a pair of Hellfire missiles. That was sufficient for the destruction of small point targets or vehicles, but did not give the possibility of prolonged "fire pressure" on the enemy in order to hamper his actions or destroy area targets.
The vulnerability of drones to anti-aircraft fire and dependence on meteorological factors turned out to be higher than that of manned vehicles. Starting from the moment of the combat use of shock-reconnaissance UAVs in Afghanistan, until the end of 2013, more than 420 vehicles were lost in various incidents. The main reasons were mechanical failures, operator errors and combat losses. Of these cases, 194 were classified as Category A (loss of a drone or damage to a vehicle in the amount of more than US $ 2 million), 67 accidents occurred in Afghanistan, 41 in Iraq. UAVs of the Predator type suffered 102 accidents of category A, Reaper - 22, Hunter - 26. Moreover, as noted in the media, with regard to drones, when taking into account losses, the same approach was applied as for manned aircraft. The category of combat losses did not include vehicles that came under fire and were damaged, but not immediately shot down. If such an aircraft crashed due to damage during return to base or during landing, it is considered to have been destroyed as a result of the flight accident. The total cost of lost UAVs turned out to be higher than the savings from the lower operating costs compared to manned aircraft.
The communication and data transmission lines of American UAVs turned out to be vulnerable to interference and interception of broadcast information, which in some cases led to the loss of devices or unwanted publicity of details of the ongoing covert operations.
The accumulated experience of using UAVs made it possible to assess their real current capabilities and nullified the initial euphoria. The views of the military on their development and application prospects have become more balanced. In other words, real combat operations have proven that at the moment there is no alternative to combat manned aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles, for all their merits, can be considered only as a very useful addition so far.
The global war against "Islamic terrorism" that began in the 21st century gave rise to a new surge of interest in "anti-partisan" combat aircraft, but now they are called "counter-terrorist".
Against this background, the debate about the need to abandon the AC-130 aircraft somehow subsided in the United States. Moreover, as early versions of the AC-130 are written off, new ones are ordered based on the most modern version of the C-130J with an extended cargo compartment. The US Air Force Special Operations Command even plans to double the number of heavily armed C-130J aircraft, their number is planned to be increased to 37 units.
The American special forces also expressed a desire to have, in addition to the heavily armed "flying gunboats", more versatile aircraft capable of performing other tasks in addition to fire support.
MC-130W Combat Spear
Earlier in the United States, several modifications of MC-130 special operations support aircraft were created and adopted. They were in service with four squadrons and were used for deep raids into the depths of enemy territory in order to deliver or receive people and cargo during special operations.
In 2010, a program of re-equipment and modernization of 12 MC-130Ws began in order to increase the combat capabilities of the aircraft. In the course of modernization, the aircraft were equipped with new search and reconnaissance, navigation and sighting systems, and weapons were mounted on them, consisting of a 30-mm GAU-23 automatic cannon with two-way ammunition supply, developed on the basis of the 30-mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannon (Bushmaster II).
In addition to the cannon, the aircraft can carry 250 lb (113.5 kg) GBU-39 or small (20 kg) guided bombs GBU-44 / B Viper Strike. The suspension of guided missiles AGM-176 Griffin or AGM-114 Hellfire is provided.
Such a composition of weapons, despite the absence of large-caliber guns on board the aircraft (such as on the AC-130), makes it possible to hit field fortifications and armored vehicles. In addition to shock functions, the aircraft, which received the designation MC-130W Combat Spear after the modernization, can also be used as a transporter or tanker, which significantly expands the range of its use and makes it a truly universal machine.
Cockpit MC-130J Commando II
In addition to the refitting and modernization of previously released MC-130W aircraft, in 2009, the production of a new modification of the MC-130J Commando II began at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Georgia.
MC-130J Commando II
Due to the elongated fuselage and more powerful and economical engines, the aircraft has a greater payload and flight range. A total of 69 MC-130J aircraft are planned to be purchased for the special operations forces. Other countries have also expressed interest in acquiring such aircraft, especially those that are located in the vicinity of the areas where "anti-terrorist operations" are conducted or that have problems with all sorts of insurgents.
However, a multipurpose "gunship" based on the newest C-130J was too expensive for many states, in addition, the United States was not ready to supply it to all countries. In this regard, the specialists of the company "Alenia Aeromakki" began development on the basis of the tactical military transport aircraft C-27J Spartan. The new shock modification received the designation MC-27J. At the 2013 Paris Aerospace Show, the Italian "gunship" was shown already in the form of a full-fledged prototype.
MC-27J
The C-27J has excellent take-off and landing characteristics, and a gunship created on its basis will be able to operate without problems from field airfields and airfields with limited runways. It is distinguished by high fuel efficiency, ease of operation and very low operating costs for aircraft of this class.
The main difference between the gunship and the base vehicle is the modular combat system installed in the aircraft's cargo compartment, which includes a 30-mm GAU-23 cannon and a corresponding weapons control system.
The cannon is installed on the port side, and the rear fuselage door, which is usually used for dropping paratroopers, serves as an embrasure. Moreover, the gun is mounted on a special machine on a standard cargo pallet, which facilitates installation and dismantling.
According to the calculations of the specialists of the developer company, in a typical combat scenario the MC-27J will operate at an altitude of about 3000 m, and the inclined firing range of the cannon in this case will be about 4500 m. It is noted that, if necessary, it is possible to install a 40-mm Bofors L70 cannon. … This gun has a long firing range.
Particular attention is paid to protecting the aircraft from MANPADS. For this, suspended containers of electronic countermeasures of the ALJS system are being developed. The basis of the system is an automatic laser jamming station, which creates coded multispectral jamming radiation in a wide IR range. It leads to the illumination of the IR receiver of the missile seeker and the formation of a false signal deflecting the rocket rudders, which leads to the failure of the missile guidance to the selected target.
In the future, it is planned to install guided air-to-surface missiles and other high-precision ammunition on the aircraft. It has been announced that it will adapt to the use of the AGM-176 Griffin guided bombs on promising Italian ganships, which, when used from ground-based or shipborne launchers, is equipped with a rocket engine and is already classified as a guided missile, and the GBU-44 / B Viper Strike guided bombs. The discharge of these ammunition is planned to be carried out either through an open rear ramp, or through launch tubes, which will be built in the doors of the rear cargo hatch and, thus, will preserve the tightness of the cargo compartment.
At the same time, the MC-27J retains the ability to carry and drop paratroopers or paratroopers or cargo for various purposes, in addition, it has the ability to solve reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. As conceived by the developers, the aircraft will be able to solve a wide range of tasks: providing combat support to its forces (especially special operations forces), supporting "counter-terrorist operations", ensuring the evacuation of military personnel and civilian personnel from crisis areas.
Interest in this aircraft was shown by: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar and Colombia. Alenia Aeromacchi predicts a significant increase in global demand for aircraft of the "gunship" class, therefore the company expects to deliver at least 50 such aircraft within the next 20-25 years.
The 32nd air squadron, subordinate to the Special Operations Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces, is armed with two AC-235 multipurpose aircraft, which were modernized from the basic transport version of the CN-235 by the American company ATK.
The aircraft are armed with a 30-mm M230 cannon (an analogue of the cannon installed on the AN-64 Apache combat helicopter), 70-mm NAR, APKWS guided missiles with semi-active laser guidance and AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles. In addition, jamming systems, electro-optical and infrared aiming systems, laser designators and synthetic aperture radars were installed on the aircraft.
In addition to these aircraft, one of the two C-295 military transport aircraft available in the Jordanian Air Force is undergoing a similar conversion.
According to the views of the Jordanian military, "artillery aircraft" will be a powerful and effective addition to the combat potential of the kingdom's armed forces. The aircraft are capable of providing close air support for special forces, conducting armed reconnaissance, search and rescue in combat conditions.
Some time ago, a Chinese "gunship" was tested in the PRC. The aircraft is built on the basis of the Shaanxi Y-8, which is a licensed copy of the Soviet military transport An-12.
Unfortunately, the composition and characteristics of this aircraft's armament are not known. And the very appearance of such a machine in the PRC causes bewilderment, there are no special problems with insurgents in the PRC. The fight against Uyghur separatists is being successfully carried out using conventional police methods. Perhaps the plane was created with export prospects.
As can be seen from all of the above, interest in "anti-terrorist aircraft" in the world has recently increased significantly. The opinion is often expressed that "armed transport workers" are nothing more than targets over the battlefield. This is undoubtedly true in relation to an enemy with medium-range air defense systems or at least anti-aircraft artillery with radar guidance. As a rule, various kinds of “illegal armed formations” do not have such air defense systems (the example of the DPR and LPR is an exception). The maximum that such formations have is MZA and MANPADS. The range and reach in height of modern MANPADS theoretically make it possible to deal with the "gunship", but in practice, for a number of reasons, this does not happen.
Proper use of "gunship" allows you to successfully avoid losses. For more than 20 years, the US Air Force has not lost a single aircraft of this class from combat damage, having flown many thousands of hours and spent thousands of shells in "hot spots" around the world. The calculations of MANPADS and MZA are unable to aim, capture and fire a target at night. At the same time, the AC-130 onboard equipment makes it possible to operate successfully at any time of the day. The aircraft themselves are equipped with powerful electronic countermeasures and numerous "heat traps". At present, automated laser-assisted optoelectronic suppression systems (AN / AAR-60 MILDS) have been developed and are being mass-produced, which effectively protect a large aircraft from heat-guided missiles.
