You and the rest of your platoon are pinned down.
Enemies are closing in from all sides.
Bullets whiz above your head and ricochet off the building you are holding out from.
You have been in some bad situations before, but this might be the worst one yet.
You don’t see any clear way out other than in a body bag.
You decide to call in air support.
But can any amount of air support save you?
There are just too many enemies.
Then you hear a response over the radio.
“Angel of Death is above your position.
Hunker down, we got this,” says the voice on the radio.
All of a sudden the sky lights up with gun fire from the heavens.
You watch the enemy be completely wiped out by your saviors above.
This might sound like a story out of the Bible or a sci-fi thriller, but this is how thousands
of U.S. soldiers have been supported in battles around the world.
The Angel of Death refers to the AC-130 gunship.
It’s remarkable firepower, and long range, allows it to provide aerial fire support for
long periods of time.
Air support from The Angel of Death always has devastating consequences for the enemy.
Gunships started with the AC-47.
This aircraft was codenamed “Spooky” and used in the 1960’s to support ground troops.
During the Vietnam War the gunships were used to provide extra firepower when troops needed
support.
The AC-47 showed the world what a gunship was capable of.
Sure it had limitations, but it's hard to argue with the successful results after a
gunship came through the battlefield.
Imagine being in a squad that is pinned down in the dense Vietnamese jungle.
You are in a firefight with Viet Cong soldiers.
You have been ambushed and you and your men are in dire straits.
There are casualties on both sides as bullets fly and grenades explode.
The problem is that you are outnumbered.
The longer the battle goes on, the closer you are to running out of ammo.
One of your squadmates calls for support.
From the sky above machine gun rounds rain down on the enemy.
Bombs fall and decimate the retreating enemy troops.
You look up in the sky and see the AC-47 circling above you.
Sunlight gleams off of its metal hull.
The AC-47 continues to circle and provide support.
But eventually it pulls out of its circling maneuver and the pilot radios that they are
low on fuel and ammunition.
The gunship has to return to base.
Although the AC-47 rescued you and your squad, some of the enemy was able to get away.
If only the AC-47 had a longer flight time and more ammunition.
Enter the C-130 Hercules.
This gunship provided more cargo space for weapons and ammunition.
It also had a much higher fuel capacity than its predecessor meaning it could fly longer
missions.
The longer the gunship could stay in the air, the more damage could be done to the enemy.
Now when you called in for a gunship the C-130 could circle and fire down on an enemy for
longer periods of time.
If your squad ever needed to call in for air support again you could be sure that the C-130
would finish off the enemy completely.
Towards the end of the Vietnam War gunships underwent one more airframe change.
This led to the AC-130.
It was the gunship of choice for the U.S. military and was extremely successful.
The military still uses this basic airframe today.
Over the years new technology has been added to make it The Angel of Death that enemies
fear.
The original and unofficial nickname for the AC-130 when it was first introduced was “Puff
the Magic Dragon,” or “Puff” for short.
This name didn’t stick however.
Maybe it was because a big purple dragon was not as intimidating as The Angel of Death.
Or maybe the heads of the military weren’t too keen on having one of their most deadly
weapons associated with a cannabinoid drug.
The AC-130 was and still is successful for many different reasons.
The basic model has four Allison T56-A-15 turboprop engines, which gives the aircraft
17,200 horsepower.
It has a wingspan of 133 feet and a length of 98 feet, which provides ample room for
ammunition and mounted guns.
It can reach 300 miles per hour and has a range of 1,300 miles.
It is normally loaded with 30mm and 105mm cannons and 25mm gatling guns to mow down
any enemy targets that threaten U.S. soldiers on the ground.
Basically it's like having a fleet of flying tanks as aerial support.
And all for only 210 million dollars a plane!
The AC-130 Angel of Death gunships made their debut towards the end of the Vietnam War.
The Airforce knew they had found the right plane for the job when the AC-130 destroyed
more than 10,000 enemy trucks and provided numerous life-saving close air support missions
for ground soldiers.
After the Vietnam War the AC-130 provided support for ground troops in battles all around
the world.
In the 1980’s the military used them in the Americas mostly.
In 1983 The Angel of Death was sent to Grenada for Operation Urgent Fury.
The gunship played a vital role in supporting paratroopers and NAVY Seal squads as they
fought their way across the island to dismantle a dangerous military regime who had taken
control of the island.
After Operation Urgent Fury The Angel of Death was used in Panama for Operation Just Cause
where it was used to destroy military installations and bunkers around the country.
In the 1990’s most of the United States gunships were stationed in the Middle East.
There were also several missions in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope and Bosnia for
Operation Deliberate Force.
These missions happened in 1993 and 1995 respectively.
The first time The Angel of Death was used in the Middle East was during Operation Desert
Storm in 1991.
In the early 2000’s it was used again during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The AC-130 is still being used in conflicts in the Middle East.
But what is it like to be inside The Angel of Death?
To be the one who is in charge of unleashing the full fury of the AC-130 against enemy
troops?
We know that from the ground all a soldier needs to do is hunker down and wait until
the firing stops.
Then they can be sure that the coast is clear.
But what does it take to be a part of the AC-130 crew?
Imagine you’re sitting in the flight hangar waiting for orders.
You and some of the other soldiers are playing poker or watching episodes of The Infographics
Show.
It’s your favorite YouTube channel.
All of a sudden a siren sounds.
You and your crewmates grab your gear and enter the open maw leading into the belly
of the plane.
Black letters run along the side of the green hull spelling out The Angel of Death.
You take your seat at the gunner’s station and strap in.
The propeller engines spin to life and you take off into the sky towards a pinned down
squad requesting air support.
You are flying in one of the newly upgraded AC-130s.
It has state of the art targeting equipment and upgraded weapon capabilities.
You know that as soon as you reach your target you can unleash hell on the enemy.
You hear the pilot through your headset.
He informs the crew that the plane is about to enter the firing zone.
You feel the AC-130 bank right and begin its 360 degree circle around the hostiles on the
ground.
The screen in front of you flashes to life.
You're bathed in the luminescent green glow of the night vision display.
You can see individual bodies from thermal imaging.
Nothing is going to get by you.
You are given the signal to go weapons hot.
“Let’s do this,” you say.
You watch your monitor and select the newly upgraded 30mm cannons and gatling guns.
There are enemy troops advancing quickly on your allies.
You unleash bullets from the guns, mowing down the enemy soldiers in their tracks.
The plane carries more than enough ammunition for such a mission, so there is no need to
be shy with the bullets.
Your guns can fire up to 200 rounds a minute so there are enough bullets for everyone.
You hold down the trigger to force the remaining enemy troops to take cover.
The dirt in front of the enemy explodes from the impact of the bullets and they are sent
running for cover.
You then see a new supply of troops headed towards the battlefield in an enemy transport.
You switch over to the GBU-39 small diameter bombs.These devices have precision guidance
systems built into them.
Once you mark a target for destruction your bombs will hit it.
Every, single, time.
The enemy truck approaches the pinned down squad.
You take aim and fire.
The bombs fall through the sky and detonate on top of the truck.
Shards of metal and rubber fly through the air.
The enemy vehicle goes up in flames as The Angel of Death continues to circle above.
The enemy is no match for your firepower.
Next you switch to the 105mm M102 howitzer cannon, it is time to get serious.
You see an enemy tank come around one of the buildings.
It stops and takes aim at the location of your allies on the ground.
Your M102 can fire ten 50 pound shells per minute with precision accuracy.
But you know you will only need one good shot.
You line up the howitzer, targeting the enemy tank.
You take a deep breath to make sure your aim is perfect.
Then you fire.
The shell soars through the air and embeds itself into the top of the tank.
The round detonates and the tank is destroyed.
Threat neutralized.
The pilot of your AC-130 notices that anti-aircraft vehicles have moved into position on the left
side of the plane.
It would take too long to maneuver the plane to fire at the enemy using the guns on the
right side.
You would be blown out of the sky before you had the chance to fire a single round.
Luckily, The Angel of Death has complimentary weapons on both sides of the plane.
It doesn’t matter which way the enemy is coming from, the gunship has it covered.
You flip a switch and your screen switches over to the guns on the left side of the plane.
There is no time to waste.
You fire all weapons at the anti-aircraft vehicles that are trying to shoot you out
of the sky.
Every single one of your shots is a direct hit.
Nothing can stop you and The Angel of Death.
You switch back over to the guns on the right side of the plane and continue to provide
aerial support.
The pilot signals an evac helicopter that it is time to move in.
The chopper lands outside of the building that the pinned down squad is held up in.
The entire squad rushes out of the building and into the helicopter.
It lifts off and flies your brothers in arms to safety.
Your AC-130 lands at the airbase.
You meet up with the squad you just rescued and everyone gets a high five and a cold beer.
It's good to have an Angel of Death ready to support ground troops at a moment's notice.
The plane gets refueled and you take the night off to continue watching awesome videos from
The Infographics Show.
When you wake up the next day you are handed blueprints for the new line of AC-130 gunships.
They are being built and prototyped in a few months.
You see that the aircraft itself is lighter and more efficient.
The new AC-130 burns 25 to 30 percent less fuel than the current gunships.
It has a top speed of 416 miles per hour, which is over a hundred miles per hour faster
than the current AC-130s.
The new models are equipped with six-blade propellor engines instead of the standard
four-blade props to make it much more efficient.
This gives the new model a 3,000 mile range.
That more than doubles the flight distance of the current AC-130s.
It is amazing what new technology can do.
You also hear top secret rumors that the new AC-130 Angel of Death will be outfitted with
combat lasers.
This is some futuristic firepower, but how cool would that be?
You think about all of the missions AC-130s have carried out.
How many battles have been won and lives saved because of the air support The Angel of Death
provides.
It’s no wonder that these aircrafts have been around for over fifty years!
All you know is that you're glad The Angel of Death is on your side.
If you want to learn more about cool aircrafts click on our video Most POWERFUL & DANGEROUS
Fighter Jets In The World.
Or if you're curious what plane could save us during the next World War check out World
War 3 Airplane: E-6 Mercury.
Either video will really get this watch party to take off!
Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.
See you next time!