{"id":51188,"date":"2018-08-07T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T15:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/07\/ac-130-gunships-are-using-this-rifle-sights-to-zero-in-on-bad-guys\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:53:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:53:29","slug":"ac-130-gunships-are-using-this-rifle-sights-to-zero-in-on-bad-guys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/gearscout\/2018\/08\/07\/ac-130-gunships-are-using-this-rifle-sights-to-zero-in-on-bad-guys\/","title":{"rendered":"AC-130 gunships are using this rifle sight to \u2018zero-in\u2019 on bad guys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An AC-130W Stinger II<\/a>, one of the newest variants of the lethal gunships known for providing a stream of accurate air-to-ground fire support, was filmed recently on a mission over Syria sporting a holographic rifle sight<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force released the video showcasing the AC-130W heading out to provide close air support for U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces<\/a> in Syria on July 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the video\u2019s 1:14 minute mark, an EOTech <\/a>holographic rifle sight can be seen apparently mounted on the left side of the cockpit, next to the pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/atype-video-jwplayer><\/figure>\n\n\n

The weapon sight, often mounted on M4 carbines by U.S. ground troops, was first spotted by The War Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Captain Ryan DeCarlis, an AC-130W pilot at the 16th Special Operations Squadron, told Air Force Times the EOTech is used to help sight-in the instruments pilots use when conducting air-to-ground fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe EOTech is used to calibrate our helmet mounted targeting system \u2014 frequently referred to as the Head Mounted Display [HMD],\u201d DeCarlis said in an email. \u201cThe HMD projects symbols onto a small piece of glass in front of the pilot\u2019s eye to enable weapons employment and provide other situational awareness data.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When AC-130s are attacking, they fly in a counter-clockwise pattern around a target, because their cannons are all left-facing. This is called a pylon turn, and it allows the gunship to fire at targets for extended periods of time without having to make multiple passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A soldier from the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group fires his rifle during a training mission. The Air Force has been spotted recently using EOTech sites like the one atop this soldier’s rifle to help sight in their gunship heads up displays. (U.S. Army photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Given the grave danger to friendly forces if the pilot lost situational awareness, weapons precision is extremely important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gunship\u2019s combat systems officer \u2014 who sits in the hull of the aircraft \u2014 is responsible for aiming the aircraft\u2019s 30 mm GAU-23 cannon. But the pilots are still responsible for using the pylon turn to maintain an imaginary line projecting straight out the side of the aircraft and to a fixed point on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HMD helps them maintain that steady stream of accurate fire for ground forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the EOTechs the pilots are using, while those are issued ones from their squadrons, the sights can also be purchased commercially for around $500 to $700.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
An EOTech holographic rifle sight is seen mounted in the cockpit of an AC-130W Stinger II. (Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Like DeCarlis, the aircrew featured in the video is deployed from the 16th Special Operations Squadron, out of Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron is often responsible for conducting missions alongside special operations ground forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AC-130W\u2019s primary missions are close air support and air interdiction. The gunship is capable of reacting to troops in contact situations, providing convoy escorts and conducting point air defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An AC-130W is essentially \u201ca highly modified C-130H featuring improved navigation, threat detection, countermeasures, and communication suites,\u201d according to the Air Force<\/a>. \u201cAll AC-130W aircraft are modified with a precision strike package to perform the gunship mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the 30 mm cannon, the AC-130W is known to be armed with standoff, precision-guided munitions and the GBU-39 small diameter bomb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes holographic rifle sights can help bring the thunder from above.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":51302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":90,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[90,15,16,88],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3406],"class_list":["post-51188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gearscout","category-news","category-off-duty","category-your-military"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"YYL4BE32IFCFBGNWANGDFUPEZY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/08\/07\/ac-130-gunships-are-using-this-rifle-sights-to-zero-in-on-bad-guys\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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