The "Sky Battleship" AC-130J Appears Over the Korean Peninsula [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

<한미연합공중훈련… F-15K 등과 근접항공지원 훈련
Translating to English: "ROK-US Combined Air Exercise... Close Air Support Training with F-15K and Others
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The latest U.S. special operations aircraft AC-130J "Ghostrider," known as the "Warship of the Sky," participated in the South Korea-U.S. joint air training held from the 17th to the 20th. This is the second time the AC-130J has been deployed to the Korean Peninsula since March last year.

AC-130

According to the Air Force on the 20th, the training conducted across various parts of the Korean Peninsula was a Close Air Support (CAS) exercise, where aircraft such as fighter jets provide fire support to ground forces engaged in operations. About 10 aircraft participated, including the U.S. AC-130J, South Korea’s F-15K, KF-16, FA-50 fighters, and KA-1 airborne control attack aircraft.

On the morning of the 20th, one AC-130J and two KF-16s conducted live-fire training together at the Jikdo firing range off the coast of Gunsan, Jeonbuk Province. The AC-130J also conducted solo live-fire training at the Pilsung firing range in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, from the 17th to the 19th.

The Air Force stated, "Going forward, both South Korea and the U.S. will continue to conduct regular training as well as various joint air exercises to demonstrate the strong power of the alliance capable of achieving any objective."

The AC-130J is a modified version of the U.S. Air Force’s large transport aircraft C-130J. It supports special forces operating on the ground with firepower and also performs missions such as armed reconnaissance. It is equipped with 30mm and 105mm cannons and can utilize various armaments including AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and GBU-39 small diameter precision-guided bombs.