The AC-130 family is slowly packed with a wide array of guided munitions and direct fire systems, and soon they will be carrying the most exotic weapons of all, those of the directed energy variety.

This is precisely why the USAF has retained some of its spare AC-130U “Spooky” gunships to be used as flying testbeds for emerging laser technologies. According to Lt. Gen, Bradley Heithold, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, the idea is that in the not so distant future not only will the be able to cook a single individual in a crowd from on high, or be able to disable vehicles with a high-powered laser, but it will also be able to disperse crowds via a powerful, non-lethal, “active denial system.

It is no secret that the AC-130 fleet is changing. Once defined by their bristling cannons, the new

Such a system would use rapid bursts of microwave energy over a specific area, which makes individuals feel as if their skin is on fire, while at the same time having no long-lasting effects, if used correctly at least. Active denial systems, often referred to as “pain rays,”, but such an evolved active denial capability would give one of the most deadly flying machines ever invented a true “less than lethal” option.

A decade ago, the Active Denial System was lauded as America's less-than-lethal 'holy grail' that…

Once proven on the AC-130, an airborne active denial system could be deployed to other fixed-wing platforms, and domestic applications are not out of the question, something that will surely be controversial if it comes to pass.

Arming a C-130 with a laser has been a long-time ambition of the Defense Department. The, cooked through the hood of a truck in 2009. Like its , the Advanced Tactical Laser was a cumbersome chemical based system.

Now, with solid state lasers making huge strides, not just in output power but also in miniaturization, durability and usability, the goal of an operational AC-130 based laser system is totally feasible.

Because of its size, the C-130’s amazing adaptability, frequent use and the AC-130’s unique mission set, the AC-130J is a perfect place for the USAF to realize its growing directed energy weapons initiative operationally. What would be learned by AC-130J crews employing this new class of weaponry in combat could be migrated to tactical aircraft in the not so distant future as their more miniaturized and complex laser systems come on line. As a whole, , and the AC-130J Ghostrider could be the USAF’s first foray into this new combat reality.

Defense giant Lockheed Martin, Notre Dame University, DARPA and the Air Force Research Lab have…

The AC-130J Ghostrider is still in testing and , but its additional performance, updated systems and wide array of potential armament, including lasers and microwave weapons, could enable it to be the most versatile combat aircraft in the entire USAF fleet. This is especially true for the wars we continuously find ourselves in, not the ones we love to fight “on paper.”

It may seem a bit ironic for an aircraft that is widely known as a brutal flesh slaying machine, but the next generation AC-130’s biggest accomplishment may be not having to kill at all, or if it does, being able to do so with laser like precision, literally.

Photos via USAF, source via

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