IraqMilitary AviationSyriaTroubled AreasWar on ISIS

These photos show an AC-130 Gunship during night refueling over Iraq

Published on: March 31, 2016 at 9:31 PM
David Cenciotti David Cenciotti
A U.S. Air Force AC-130 Gunship receives fuel from a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker over Iraq, March 29, 2016 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The United States stands with a coalition of more than 60 international partners to assist and support the Iraqi Security Forces to degrade and defeat ISIL. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/Released)

AC-130 emerges from the night to refuel from a KC-135 over Iraq.

Little is known about AC-130 Spooky Gunship operations in Iraq.

For sure we know that two AC-130s, along with some A-10 Warthogs were involved in a quite famous airstrike during which 116 ISIS-controlled fuel trucks were destroyed near Abu Kamal, Syria, on Nov. 15, 2015 as part of the coalition’s Operation Tidal Wave II, the effort to slow the Islamic State’s generation of revenue.

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Although the gunship is barely visible, the very high-resolution images in this post show one AC-130U approaching a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker from 340th EARS (Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron) over Iraq, on Mar. 29, 2016.

A U.S. Air Force AC-130 Gunship approaches a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker over Iraq, March 29, 2016. The United States stands with a coalition of more than 60 international partners to assist and support the Iraqi Security Forces to degrade and defeat ISIL. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/Released)
A U.S. Air Force AC-130 Gunship approaches a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker over Iraq, March 29, 2016. The United States stands with a coalition of more than 60 international partners to assist and support the Iraqi Security Forces to degrade and defeat ISIL. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/Released)



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By David Cenciotti
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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
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