Lockheed delivers laser for AC-130J gunship

The AC-130J Ghostrider gunship simply acquired a step nearer to getting its laser.

Lockheed Martin mentioned in an Oct. 6 launch it has completed manufacturing unit acceptance testing for its Airborne Excessive Power Laser and has delivered the laser to the Air Drive to be built-in with different programs, floor examined, after which flight examined on its latest gunship.

The Ghostrider — the fourth technology and newest mannequin of the Air Drive’s AC-130 sequence of gunships — is already closely armed with 30mm and 105mm cannons and AGM-176A Griffin missiles and has the power to hold Hellfire missiles and GBU-39 small-diameter bombs.

However for years, the Air Drive has been musing about the opportunity of additional arming the gunship with a laser.

Now-retired Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold in 2015 floated the opportunity of including a laser — probably rather than the 105mm cannon — that might first function defensively to take down a missile coming for the gunship. Or, Heithold prompt, it may very well be used offensively, to disable enemy autos or plane with out anybody seeing or listening to something.

“This isn’t Star Wars stuff, of us,” Heithold, then head of Air Drive Particular Operations Command, mentioned at an Air Drive Affiliation convention that yr. “The expertise is ripe for doing this. … I’ve acquired the house, I’ve acquired the burden, and I’ve acquired the ability.”

Nevertheless, getting a laser on the Ghostrider has taken longer than Heithold initially hoped. He informed reporters at that 2015 convention he needed a laser-armed AC-130 by the top of the last decade.

In early 2019, Lockheed was awarded the contract to combine, take a look at and exhibit the laser subsystem on the AC-130J.

“Completion of this milestone is an amazing accomplishment for our buyer,” Rick Cordaro, vice chairman of Lockheed Martin Superior Product Options, mentioned within the Oct. 6 launch. “These mission success milestones are a testomony of our partnership with the U.S. Air Drive in quickly attaining essential advances in laser weapon system growth. Our expertise is prepared for fielding immediately.”

Lockheed can also be engaged on its airborne laser program for the Naval Floor Warfare Heart, Dahlgren Division, below a $12 million contract awarded in July.

The Ghostrider is a major improve over the older AC-130U Spooky gunships, boasting improved avionics, navigation programs and weapons. It reached preliminary operational functionality in September 2017. The primary squadron acquired a Ghostrider — the Block 20 model — in February 2018, and AFSOC acquired the extra superior Block 30 AC-130J the next yr.