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AC-130H, when it’s really cool to be a superpower.

The AC-130H/U Gunship
What is it? The AC-130 is an aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin Marietta . It is used by various arms of the United States military as a convenient means of:

Scaring the shit out of a lot of people at once
Killing a smaller number of people simultaneously
Destroying various types of ground targets.

Where did it come from? The AC-130H/U are the latest iterations of the fixed-wing gunship concept, and are follow-ons to the original gunship, the AC-47. It is built on the basic airframe of the C-130 Hercules, a medium intratheater transport aircraft popular in the Western world for its ruggedness, dependability and ability to operate from extremely rough airfields.

The AC-130U (the latest variant) has the official callsign of Spooky. Its predecessor the AC-130H was Spectre. Troops in Vietnam used to refer to the plane by these names, or as Puff the Magic Dragon. It was a companion to them, as it orbited their positions laying down covering fire; comments on the situation often included the line “Spooky understands.”

For more information on this reference, you might try looking up the works of Michael Herr, notably Dispatches.

What does it use? The armament of the gunship has evolved over time, with one constant being the horrific amount of fire that it can bring onto even the most carefully hidden targets. To do this, it needs three basic component systems.

Sensors
Spooky sees farther into the electromagnetic spectrum than we do. In addition to television imaging sensors, it has infrared detectors for night use, and synthetic aperture radar for imaging ‘hard’ objects under soft cover (say, trees).

Navigation
In order to be effective, the AC-130 has to be able to find its targets. Modern versions use all forms of navaids from GPS to Inertial Navigation Systems.

Weapons
The AC-130H mounts a 105mm gun, a 40mm gun, and two 20mm Vulcan cannons. The -U replaces the latter with a single 25mm gun. Early variants (and present ones, as additional armament) can be fitted with miniguns.

What does it cost? The AC-130U costs (in fiscal 98 dollars) approximately $81.1 million. The AC-130H costs approximately $52.3 million.

The Gryphon, New and Improved

Back in 06 we reported on the ESG Gryphon Personal Flying Wing, and it had military applications written all over it, or, a cool opening scene to the next James Bond Flick. The latest version, rechristened the Gryphon Attack Glider by SPELLCO (the new company name), has slimmed down the weight by 30 pounds and also offers the ability to carry up to 100 pounds of onboard gear and even carry weapons hard points for mini missiles and bombs. Yowsa. And with a maximum glide speed of 135 MPH, that makes this not only an attack glider, but a serious special ops platform for attacking well behind enemy lines.

Pilots wear a specially designed helmet that offers a heads-up display and provides on-board oxygen for those high altitude HALO JUMPS. And with its ability to coast as far as 125 miles inland, jumpers can launch from any air platform outside enemy airspace and glide to their target with a tiny radar cross section. Landing is accomplished by separating the wing from the parachute pack with the pull of a standard rip cord. As the pilot slows his descent, the attached wing dangles from a safety cord to land nearby. Which is good if you don’t want to attract attention by sending it out of control to land where you don’t want it. And while there is a commercial version of the Gryphon for parachute sport enthusiasts, if the company manages to create a fly by wire steering option (it currently steers by hand controllers) and mini jet turbines to increase its range, the Gryphon may go “black” for good.

But where’s the fun in that?

Hat Tip: Geekologie

New body armor from bear protection suit inventor

The suit has stood up to bullets from high-powered weapons, including an elephant gun. The suit was empty during the ballistics tests, but he’s more than ready to put it on and face live fire. The whole suit is made from high-impact plastic lined with ceramic bullet protection over ballistic foam. Its many features include compartments for emergency morphine and salt, a knife and emergency light. Built into the forearms are a small recording device, a pepper-spray gun and a detachable transponder that can be swallowed in case of trouble. In the helmet, there’s a solar-powered fresh-air system and a drinking tube attached to a canteen in the small of the back. A laser pointer mounted in the middle of the forehead is ready to point to snipers, while LED lights frame the face.

He has spent two years and $15,000$150,000 in the lab out back of his house in North Bay, designing and building a practical, lightweight and affordable shell to stave off bullets, explosives, knives and clubs. He calls it the Trojan and describes it as the “first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armour.” The whole suit comes in at 18 kilograms. It covers everything but the fingertips and the major joints, and could be mass-produced for about $2,000, Hurtubise says. [not an exoskeleton but full body armor]