Spectre, Arriving

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- One of two 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre AC-130H gunships taxis onto the flightline May 19. The 16 SOS formerly transfers from the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hulburt Field, Fla., to the 27th Special Operations Wing at the end of June.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Each of the two AC-130H Spectre gunships assigned to Cannon will sport a unique symbol. The Spectre has been the symbol of the 16th Special Operations Squadron and the AC-130 gunship since inception in the late 1960s. The Spectre represents the unit's special operations mission, usually carried out at night, where they attack quickly and precisely and then vanish, much like the phantoms of folklore do. The unit's motto, "Spectre," represents the nickname of the aircraft the squadron has flown since the Vietnam era.

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class James Bell)

From today’s Air Force Association Daily Report:

Cannon Gets First Gunships: The first two of eight AC-130H Spectre gunships destined for the new Air Force Special Operations Command force at Cannon AFB, N.M., arrived last week. The remaining aircraft are slated to arrive later this summer, according to the Cannon photo release. The AC-130 gunships are part of the 16th Special Operations Squadron that is shifting from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to Cannon, where it will operate under the 27th Special Operations Wing. AFSOC took over operations at Cannon, setting up its long-sought western hub, in October 2007. The command expects to move about 600 personnel from Hurlburt to Cannon to establish the 16th SOS at the New Mexico facility.

More… much more… on the AC-130H here. So… things are gonna get a lil bit noisy out on the range pretty soon. That 105mm howitzer sticking out of the left side of the aircraft (right side of photo) in the pic above has a pretty good boom to it. I've heard 'em practicing on the range while I was down in the Florida Panhandle years ago... from a distance of at least ten miles, perhaps more. It makes one glad to NOT be on the receiving end of greetings the Spectres deliver. Watch this and see if you don't agree:

Yowza.

(USAF Photos as captioned here.)