Although not exactly from the gunner’s point of view, the following picture, taken over the Republic of Korea on Sept. 12, 2012, gives an idea of what firing down on a range with the AC-130U Spooky’s 25mm Gatling-type rotary cannon looks like.
Two AC-130U gunships, similar to those that were monitored as they deployed to the Mediterranean area in response to the Benghazi consulate attack, took part to Teak Knife 12-3, an exercise whose goal is to enhance the combat readiness of U.S. and Republic of Korea Special Operations and support forces through combined and joint live-fire training.
The gunship conducted live-fire close-air-support training at Pilsung Range.
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Image credit: U.S. Air Force
Air strikes conducted from the AC-130s along with those from the A-10s and F-16s of the 51st Fighter Wing from Osan, were controlled by RoK Special Warfare Command Special Operations Teams from around the Korean peninsula.
During Teak Knife, U.S. and RoK forces practiced advanced joint terminal control attack operations during atypical close air support missions that included “specialized techniques, tactics and procedures associated with radioing in targets, striking adversaries with various munitions, targeting enemy threat capabilities, teaching allied aircraft capabilities and practicing horizontal and vertical aircraft deconfliction measures.”
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