In the future, more powerful lasers will be capable of both lethal and nonlethal fires.The Close-Air Support (CAS) platform has been a staple of warfare since the days of World War 1 (1914-1918) and has evolved considerably since. The AC-130J’s laser will be the first weapon with a “scalable” nonlethal capability: that is, the weapon’s power can be adjusted to produce a range of less than lethal effects. The Air Force is starting to diversify the modern gunship’s capabilities, and the recent incorporation of SDB glide bombs and Griffin missiles gives the gunship a standoff attack capability it previously lacked. The Air Force’s long line of gunships has traditionally emphasized firepower over all else. The AC-130J is designed to loiter high above enemy targets, bombarding enemy forces below. The AC-130J can also equip 250-pound GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs for longer range precision strike capability, as well as the AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-176 Griffin missile. The AC-130J is a C-130J Super Hercules transport fitted with one GAU-23/A 30-millimeter cannon and a 105-millimeter howitzer. The AC-130J Ghostrider is the latest in a long line of fixed-wing gunships dating back to the Vietnam War. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick/DVIDS
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