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Crews at Hurlburt Field, Florida, put the finishing touches on this first AC-130U Spooky gunship armed with the 30 mm Bushmaster cannon. The Spooky, rearmed in early February, retains its 105 mm cannon but replaces the 25mm and 40mm guns with Bushmasters. The change gives the gunships, known as U-Boats, increased lethality and accuracy while improving reliability. The 40mm Bofors cannon, in use since World War II, is increasingly hard to maintain with no production line to replace ammunition stocks. While the 25mm gun is newer, it has a maintenance-intensive ammunition handling system. The Bushmaster fires 200 rounds a minute. Flight testing will continue through May.
Photo By Cmsgt. Gary Emery
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