On August 4, 2024, an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship landed on Highway 63 in Bono, Arkansas. On this public highway, the gunship refueled and rearmed before taking back off. This historic first, conducted by Air Force Special Operations Command, was part of Emerald Warrior Field Training Exercise II.
The fixed-wing gunship concept dates back to the AC-47 Spooky gunship used to provide close air support to ground forces in Vietnam. Since then, the mission has been performed by the AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger variants before being taken on by the AC-130. The A, E, and H variants of the AC-130 received the Spectre designation. The Spectre gunship was made famous during the Global War on Terror through its depiction in movies and video games. In 2015, the last Spectre gunship was retired with the AC-130U Spooky following five years later. Today, the AC-130J Ghostrider is the most modern platform in the long line of fixed-wing gunships.
The AC-130J is based on Air Forces Special Operations Command’s MC-130J. Unlike previous C-130s, the MC-130J is the first built specifically for special operations. Additionally, previous AC-130s were famously armed with a 25mm Gatling gun, a 40mm Bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer. While these guns were employed with great precision by highly-skilled aircrews, the Precision Strike Package of the AC-130J provides a wider array of more precise armament.
The Ghostrider retains the 105mm howitzer but ditches the 40mm cannon and 25mm gun for a Bushmaster 30mm cannon. In addition to these trainable weapons, the AC-130J can carry Standoff Precision Guided Munitions including the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, AGM-114 Hellfire missile, and the AGM-176 Griffin missile. These weapons, combined with an advanced suite of electro-optical/infrared sensors and fire control equipment, make the Ghostrider the deadliest gunship yet.
Emerald Warrior FTX II was designed to showcase AFSOC’s Agile Combat Employment capabilities. On the morning of August 4, Special Tactics Airmen of the 1st Special Operations Wing established and secured a landing zone on Highway 63. This allowed a a C-146A Wolfhound and MC-130J Commando II of the 492nd Special Operations Wing to land. On the five-lane highway, the crew of the MC-130J set up a Forward Arming and Refueling Point.
With the FARP established, the AC-130J Ghostrider made its approach and landed on the highway to refuel and rearm. After taking on fuel and ammunition, the Ghostrider rolled down Highway 63 and returned to the sky. “Emerald Warrior FTX II demonstrates to our adversaries that we can meet them anytime, any place, anywhere, without the need for traditional runways to project air power,” said Col. Patrick Dierig, 1 SOW commander, in an AFSOC article. “By landing an AC-130J on a highway and conducting FARP, we’re proving our ability to operate in austere and unique environments.”
In response to growing and evolving threats in the Indo-Pacific region, the Air Force has placed great emphasis on its ability to conduct agile combat operations. Developing these skills will allow the service to operate across the oceans from small islands without established support infrastructure.