AP: AC-130 Gunships Returning to Iraq

Yahoo/AP ^ | March 3, 2006 | CHARLES J. HANLEY

[BreezyDog]

There was a post a couple days ago in reference to tell tale signs of a military opereration about to occur that was posted on strategypage.com. I think this deployment was one of the signs. I can't find the article anymore on that website. But I think Iran is very close.

[wildbill]

Loose lips sink ships. Thank you AP.

[Calpernia]

The Iraq-based special forces command controlling the AC-130s, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, said it would have no comment on the deployment. But the plan's general outline was confirmed by other Air Force officers, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the subject.

(snip)

The four-engine gunships, whose home base is Hurlburt Field in Florida, have operated over Iraq before, flying from airfields elsewhere in the region. In November 2004, air-to-ground fire from AC-130s supported the U.S. attack that took the western city of Fallujah from insurgents. Basing the planes inside Iraq will cut hours off their transit time to reach suspected targets.

[blackie]

AC-130!

Be Ever Vigilant!

[bill1952]

There were many variants, but I still remember the gunship "Puff" as in "Puff the Magic Dragon" from the song of that era.

In a twist of fate, a stateside high school chum had sent me a Popular Science magazine with Puff on the cover, and the article on the technology of a motorized Gatling gun mounted on the AC-47.

And I did love that song as a child. - Dates me, doesn't it? 8^)

[bill1952]

dragons live forever, but not so little boys

[compuguru]

Yup, Iran was the first word that came to my mind, too. One or two platforms I can see for current ops, but four... it's to support eyes on target.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

That is a new one for me....

[Marine_Uncle]

"That is a new one for me...."
Gee wheez. How many long dialogs had I typed easily expanding last summer to the end of the year, where I explained in some detail the Iraqi airforce training in those C130, and that shortly they would be fully operational. Guess my writting is to no effect. But no complaint. Now all can see it in official print.

[ralph rotten]

the aircraft flew out of Ubon Thailand in 1968-- first hand knowledge ---Ijust check my "good buy" metal cup dated Oct 19 1969

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I meant the video....

[Marine_Uncle]

"I meant the video...."
Good enough for me.

[Marine_Uncle]

"I meant the video...."
Good enough for me. I'm losing it. I had just read article on the article SandRat posted refering to the Iraqi Airforce use of the C130's we gave them last year to train in. And mistook your ping in this different posting on C130's ready to redeploy to Iraq for some damaged controll as that article. Sorry I jumped the gun.

[Kenny Bunk]

Wrong-o/

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK, I don't see anything in this article that implies someone other than us is going to operate these .....

[Marine_Uncle]

Did not implie that. SandRat posted two sequencial articles on C130 in Iraq. First one was about the four C130's we gave them last year and had been training them to use for their budding airforce. Second article which you pinged me was about our guys going back to Iraq in with their gunships to plaster jidadist. I confused things with my remark to you, in thinking you pong me on the first article, which obviously you did not. I goofed. Meanwhile back in the states....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589671/posts

[FreeAtlanta]

If things heat up with Iran, I wish we had a pair of these ready;

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[philetus]

Go get em Puff

[fso301]

While on one hand, the deployment could be taken to mean the situation in Iraq has degraded, on the otehr hand, they may be going there anticipating the start of hunting season in iran.