AC-130 gunship munitions systems technicians with the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron process 105mm high explosive and target practice rounds at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Munitions systems technicians manage production, materials, systems, and surveillance of assets, as well preparing many different types of munitions used to support global contingency operations. The AC-130 was armed with two 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannonsor 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon, one L60 Bofors 40 mm cannon, and one 105 mm M102 howitzer. The gun was first used in the later stages of the Vietnam War and is still used in the AC-130U gunship.
The United States Air Force’s Lockheed AC-130 gunship M102 105 mm cannon was modified to be fired from the left rear side door of the AC-130. That change provided enough space for the 105 mm gun to be mounted in the doorway in place of the radome. The latest AC-130J Ghostrider gunship was not originally planned to include the 105 mm, but designed with enough spare power and room to mount it at some later point. The Air Force decided to include it in January 2015, starting installation on the third aircraft, then having the first two be retrofitted when guns become available; M102s will be pulled off retiring AC-130Us and put into the AC-130Js.
