Ghostrider Airborne

Posted 5 February 2014

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Photo by Sara Vidoni

After more than a year of modification, the newly created AC-130J Ghostrider gunship was flown for the first time at Eglin AFB, Florida, on 31 January 2014. The aircraft, which was flown by a 413th Flight Test Squadron crew, was originally MC-130J Commando II Special Operations airlifter that was delivered new from the Lockheed Martin assembly line in early January 2013. The aircraft is now equipped with a Precision Strike Package that includes dual electro-optical infrared sensors, a 30mm cannon, AGM-176A Griffin missiles, all-weather synthetic aperture radar, and the capability to release GBU-39 small diameter bombs.

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