Gunships are great for combating bare foot insurgents ,but any SAM threat grounds them, specially the smaller ones that can't stand off due to smaller caliber guns.
So the MC-27J is only going to be armed with Hellfire missiles and a retractable 30mm auto cannon. I just don't know how it practicality makes sense. The AC-130U has a crew of 13: five officers (pilot, copilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer); eight enlisted (flight engineer, All Light Level TV operator, infrared- detection set operator, four airborne gunners, loadmaster). Not to mention carrying 3,000 rounds of 25mm for the GAU-12 Gatling gun, 256 rounds of 40mm for the L60 Bofors cannon, 100 rounds of 105mm for the M102 howitzer and a full countermeasure suite featuring: AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), AN/AAR-44 infrared warning receiver, AN/AAR-47 missile warning system, AN/ALE-47 flare and chaff dispensing system, AN/ALQ-172 Electronic Countermeasure System, AN/ALQ-196 Jammer, AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver, AN/APR-46A panoramic RF receiver and QRC-84-02 infrared countermeasures system.
It just seems that Alenia's idea of making a smaller gunship and scramming it in with the goodies that an AC-130 carries with half the space inside of it would be suicide. I don't see how that bird fully loaded could get off the ground without having to sacrifice major components, personnel, and electronics to have a fully mission ready aircraft that can survive the modern threats of new weapons technologies.
well you know the subject much MUCH better than i do, but i've read that even with all the extra goodies SOCOM has stuffed inside the AC-130, it still is thought that its vulnerable. like Mr T said, they must be planning on going up against barefoot terrorist.
of course (and i'm not being racist) the Italians have commitments, and interests in Africa so maybe its being built with an idea toward that continent...but they better be careful even there...manpads are all over.
Its worth pointing out that the next gen AC-130 gets rid of most the guns and replaces them with various missiles, bombs, etc. 40mm is going because ammo is running out and its a whole lot less effective than a single GCLAW. 105 is being replaced by Viper Strike, Griffin, and Hellfire missiles. 25mm cannon is being replaced by the 30mm cannon. So the reality is as far as weapon systems is concerned, the MC-27J gunship is just following the US lead.
The MC-27J Gunship is for countries who want their own version of the AC-130U, AC-47 or AC-119, all on the cheap. It would be a pocket gunship for countries who can't afford the AC-130U.
Gunships are great for combating bare foot insurgents ,but any SAM threat grounds them, specially the smaller ones that can't stand off due to smaller caliber guns.
ReplyDeleteSo the MC-27J is only going to be armed with Hellfire missiles and a retractable 30mm auto cannon. I just don't know how it practicality makes sense. The AC-130U has a crew of 13: five officers (pilot, copilot, navigator, fire control officer, electronic warfare officer); eight enlisted (flight engineer, All Light Level TV operator, infrared- detection set operator, four airborne gunners, loadmaster). Not to mention carrying 3,000 rounds of 25mm for the GAU-12 Gatling gun, 256 rounds of 40mm for the L60 Bofors cannon, 100 rounds of 105mm for the M102 howitzer and a full countermeasure suite featuring: AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), AN/AAR-44 infrared warning receiver, AN/AAR-47 missile warning system, AN/ALE-47 flare and chaff dispensing system, AN/ALQ-172 Electronic Countermeasure System, AN/ALQ-196 Jammer, AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver, AN/APR-46A panoramic RF receiver and QRC-84-02 infrared countermeasures system.
ReplyDeleteIt just seems that Alenia's idea of making a smaller gunship and scramming it in with the goodies that an AC-130 carries with half the space inside of it would be suicide. I don't see how that bird fully loaded could get off the ground without having to sacrifice major components, personnel, and electronics to have a fully mission ready aircraft that can survive the modern threats of new weapons technologies.
well you know the subject much MUCH better than i do, but i've read that even with all the extra goodies SOCOM has stuffed inside the AC-130, it still is thought that its vulnerable. like Mr T said, they must be planning on going up against barefoot terrorist.
Deleteof course (and i'm not being racist) the Italians have commitments, and interests in Africa so maybe its being built with an idea toward that continent...but they better be careful even there...manpads are all over.
Its worth pointing out that the next gen AC-130 gets rid of most the guns and replaces them with various missiles, bombs, etc. 40mm is going because ammo is running out and its a whole lot less effective than a single GCLAW. 105 is being replaced by Viper Strike, Griffin, and Hellfire missiles. 25mm cannon is being replaced by the 30mm cannon. So the reality is as far as weapon systems is concerned, the MC-27J gunship is just following the US lead.
DeleteIt may not be as good as the AC-130U, but the old AC-47 and AC-119 were armed with less than the MC-27J and they provide to be effect.
ReplyDeleteThe MC-27J Gunship is for countries who want their own version of the AC-130U, AC-47 or AC-119, all on the cheap. It would be a pocket gunship for countries who can't afford the AC-130U.
ReplyDelete