HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) —
Air Pressure Particular Operations Command obtained its thirty first and closing AC-130J Ghostrider, finishing the command’s transition from the legacy AC-130W, AC-130U and AC-130H fleets.
Following a commemoration ceremony on the Lockheed Martin Gunship Modification Facility in Crestview Nov. 2, the ultimate AC-130J was delivered to the twenty seventh Particular Operations Wing at Cannon Air Pressure Base, New Mexico.
In the course of the AC-130J Ghostrider dedication and supply ceremony, Lt. Col. Joe Allen, Gunship Program supervisor and narrator for the occasion, briefly mentioned the historical past of nostril artwork and the way it grew to become a typical manner of depicting the identify of an airplane. He additionally defined how pilots would stencil names or name indicators on their plane, offering a way of connection and additional a sense of pleasure for themselves and the crew that saved the airplane flying.
“Plane #31 isn’t any completely different [than previous World War II aircraft] and is being named in honor of Mr. Stan ‘Sluggo’ Siefke who was instrumental within the developments of the precision strike package deal previous to chopping first metallic on the MC-130W,” stated Allen. “Sluggo’s impacts on Whiskey and Ghostrider have been nothing wanting excellent and we’re honored to have him in attendance at the moment.”
Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, AFSOC commander, represented the command on the ceremony and spoke about his expertise with buying and receiving the AC-130J.
Slife recalled that it had been only some years again when then Col. Slife, working on the Pentagon for the Workplace of Secretary of Protection, started the messaging and formative language that initiated this system that he’s seeing come full circle.
“Within the fall of 2009, the secretary of protection determined to recapitalize [the AC-130] with C-130Js to construct the platforms we see behind us at the moment,” Slife stated.
He additionally spoke about seeing the primary J mannequin go into fight in the summertime of 2019 whereas serving because the AFSOC commander.
“The airplane and its predecessors have exceeded all our expectations and saved extra People alive than some other airplane on the battlefield,” Slife stated.
“The long run goes to be completely different than what we now have skilled for the final 20 years, however one factor I’m sure of is that this airplane can be related to regardless of the future working atmosphere brings, so thanks all for delivering such an impressive functionality to at the moment’s warfighters,” he stated.
Capt. Katie Tiedemann, 73rd Particular Operations Squadron weapons methods officer, shared operational vignettes of the AC-130J throughout the occasion. She particularly shared her personal expertise deployed in Afghanistan when she supported Operation Allies Refuge.
“Over two weeks, my very own crew, and two others, continued to make use of our plane for numerous hours, reopening the [Kabul] airport and evacuating 123,000 refugees,” Tiedemann stated. “A lot of the remainder of the story you could have seen and heard, however our two crews who flew throughout the evacuation can be acknowledged this fall with the MacKay trophy for carrying out essentially the most meritorious flight of the yr.”
Following Capt. Tiedemann’s presentation, William Innes, deputy director for acquisition, United States Particular Operations Command, spoke about USSOCOM’s half in navigating the acquisitions course of to get the weapons methods from business to the warfighter.
“Once we can see firsthand that it [the acquisition process] works, it delivers one of the best weapons system the nation can get, it’s really inspirational,” he stated.
Vic Torla, Lockheed Martin vice chairman of Particular Operations Forces World Logistics Help Providers, expressed his gratitude for the partnership between Lockheed Martin and the Air Pressure.
“An ideal instance of a authorities and business partnership to face up this facility,” Torla stated. “A ten-year journey to ship what’s now 30 fight succesful plane to Particular Operations Command.”
On the conclusion of the ceremony, Slife, together with the aircrew, stepped onto the brand new AC-130J and took off for Cannon AFB, the place the ultimate AC-130J will change into a part of the twenty seventh Particular Operations Wing.
He concluded together with his gratitude for all who contributed to creating the AC-130J the success it’s at the moment.
“For the entire workforce at the moment, for the workforce that maintained the airplane, that constructed the airplane, that acquired the airplane, that fly the airplane, that examined the airplane, thanks for what you’ve achieved.”
The AC-130J is a transport plane modified for particular forces operations and has been used to help AFSOC in missions world wide. It’s a fifth-generation gunship that may present shut air help, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.
