But the Spectres always packed the same deadly armament - one 40-millimeter Bofors cannon and a 105-millimeter howitzer. The Air Force continually upgraded the Vietnam War-vintage planes with new communications gear, night-vision cameras and extra defensive equipment. The four-engine AC-130H, which has now retired from Air Force service, boasted a range of some 1,500 miles. War Is Boring obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Act that highlight the role the gunships have played in the Pentagon’s kill chain. Jeremy Sparks, the squadron’s commander, said in an official film commemorating the mission. “ the sound of having a C-130 overhead in operation, we have established to the enemy that you get to run away - you can run, but you’ll die tired,” Maj. During their time in Afghanistan that year, the heavily-armed planes - cargo-haulers modified to carry side-firing guns and cannons - broke up Taliban ambushes, attacked insurgent camps and provided cover for American and allied troops. Air Force’s 16th Special Operations Squadron returned from their last operational deployment. In December 2013, AC-130H Spectre gunships from the U.S. Sometimes, the attacking plane is huge, loud and full of human beings. Sure, we call it a “ drone war,” but in truth, the Pentagon’s shadowy counterterror air campaign doesn’t always end with a small, silent robot firing a missile. Movies such as Eye in the Sky underscore how drones and controversial targeted strikes against terrorists have become almost inseparable in the public’s mind.
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