Spotted this interesting bit of info on the AC-130 used in the first 2007 US airstrike in Somalia:
Unlike the unmanned Predator drone that killed an al-Qaida operative in Yemen — across the Gulf of Aden from Somalia — in 2002, the gunship is not designed for surgical strikes. First used in Vietnam, where it was nicknamed Puff the Magic Dragon, the converted cargo plane uses sensors to guide its heavy cannons.
Sounds … I dunno, kinda big ‘n’ clunky. Here’s a close-up of one that has been oh-so-charmingly decorated:
Make friends the world over with art! </sarcasm>
Richard Cornwell, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said the strikes showed that cooperation between Ethiopia and the US over the Somalia incursion had been far closer than suspected, and was critical of the manner of the attack.
“The AC130 is an appallingly blunt instrument and I very much doubt it can be used to target individuals,” he said. “To kill alleged terrorists regardless of collateral damage is highly hypocritical.”
‘Many dead’ in US air strikes on Somalia (Guardian)
More:
- AC-130H/U gunship factsheet (US Air Force; still sounds clunky, only clunky ‘n’ expensive)
- US Confirms Air Strike on al-Qaida Leaders in Somalia (Voice of America)
- Airstrike Rekindles Somalis’ Anger at the U.S. (New York Times)
- Analysis: U.S. Return to Somalia Limited (Chris Tomlinson, AP)
- AC130 Gunships Photo Gallery where I lifted the image
- soc.history.war.vietnam FAQ: USAF Gunships
- Blackhawk Down (Philadelphia Inquirer; extensive)
- AC-130 (Federation of American Scientists)