During the Vietnam War the AC-130 gunships served to destroy enemy supply convoys. In recent years, the Hercules gunships have shifted towards using longer-range precision guided weapons like Hellfire anti-tank missiles and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. The US Air Force started a pilot project to install an AC-130J high-energy laser. The gunship can inflict injuries on combatants and cause equipment damage from far away with the laser weapon system.
Lockheed Martin was tapped by the Air Force Special Operations Command for the development of a new laser weapon systems for its AC-130J guns. The Airborne High Energy Laser, a 60-kilowatt beam of laser that can vaporize targets at long range, is the Airborne High Energy Laser. The laser can be used on the ground or in the air to destroy different targets. The weapon can also be used to detonate enemy ammo dumps. Lockheed Martin is planning to test AHEL using AC-130J gunships in the next few decades. Eventually, the weapon will be installed on the AC-130J and the aircraft will be able to operate in clandestine operations.
Air Force Special Operations Command has long been thinking about a laser weapon. The AC-130J Ghostrider is able to attack enemies from long distances with the laser weapon system. The laser weapon system can be used to strike targets at great distances without the need for optics. The laser can also be mounted on an aircraft's underside. This will enable the aircraft to carry out covert attacks, which could be used in the future.
The Air Force plans on mounting the laser weapon on AC-130J Ghostrider gunships within the next few years. The initial design work has been completed by the Air Force, and the contractor is currently implementing and testing the weapon. Ground and flight testing will follow, as well as installation of the weapon on AC-130J. The Air Force stated that the system will be available for testing in the fiscal year 2022.
The US Air Force will continue testing the AC-130J laser systems on the aircraft. Additionally, the contractor plans to begin integrating the weapon system onto the AC-130J in the next year. AC-130J aircraft's weight could limit its operating range. However, the AHEL can be used to prevent air defense from preventing the gunship from reaching its target. The weapon will also allow the Ghostrider to fire precision-guided munitions, such as Hellfire missiles, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, and AGM-176 Griffin anti-tank missiles.
In order to complete the AHEL program, the laser must be integrated into the aircraft’s beam control system. The Air Force hopes that the system will be flying tested on an AC-130J Ghostrider by 2022. Although testing has not been announced by the contractor, it is expected that the system will be flown in the fiscal year 2023.