"Peter Kemp" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:16:41 -0700, Henry J Cobb wrote:

http://globalsecurity.org/military/s...ft/ac-130u.htm
The newest addition to the command fleet, this heavily armed aircraft
incorporates side-firing weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor,
navigation and fire control systems to provide surgical firepower or
area saturation during extended loiter periods, at night and in
adverse weather.

Is Spooky safer for the surrounding civilians than laser guided bombs or
hellfire missiles for attacks on point targets in urban areas?

One thing I saw in Janes Defence Weekly recently was that Hunter UAVs
armed with Viper Strike munitions (BAT with laser rather than
acoustic/IR sensors) has been cleared for use in Iraq - now that
should be damn useful for low collateral damage urban ops.

Another nice tool, but it does little to address the problem of the
mortar-crew-in-the-courtyard (I don't think the BAT submunition (which uses
a SFF, IIRC, as its killing mechanism) would be particularly lethal against
anything other than a vehicle, but correct me if I am wrong), nor will it be
particularly useful against an enemy position in a building. The AC-130 is
good at taking out both.

Brooks


Peter Kemp