A Look At The U.S. Air Force's Newest Gunship

DoD Buzz: Air Force’s Newest Gunship, AC-130J Ghostrider, Is Almost Ready for Combat

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Air Force plans to declare its newest gunship, the AC-130J Ghostrider, ready for combat — or initial operating capability (IOC) in acquisition parlance — this month, but the aircraft won’t actually deploy to a war zone for a couple more years, a general said.

“We are declaring IOC, Initial Operating Capability, this month on the AC-J,” Lt. Gen. Marshall “Brad” Webb, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, said Tuesday during a briefing with reporters at the Air Force Association’s annual conference outside Washington, D.C.

However, the general added, “That doesn’t mean anything with respect to putting it in combat — we’re still just shy of two years away from wanting to put those in combat.”

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WNU Editor:  There is a lot of fire-power on that gunship.