The Hercules C-130 transport aircraft, that has been the back bone of the U.S special forces has now been given a valuable upgrade based on the feedback and suggestions provided by its crew and operators. The C-130 is primarily used by the special operators for ‘HALO‘ (High Altitude Low Opening) and ‘HAHO‘ (High Altitude High Opening) jumps and covert incursions into enemy territories. Furthermore, since the onset of the Afghan war and the war on terror, the C-130 has been providing life saving close air support to the troops involved in special operations.

Absolutely thrilled with the armed C-130 Hercules aircraft, the operators and crew of the aircraft had recently requested the engineers to find a way to provide the gunners with the facility of dual targeting. The C-130’s cannons pour out 105mm and 40mm shells that can devastate any enemy position and kill scores of hostile force in just one overhead pass. According to the engineers, the
crew’s exact words were,

“We want to be able to shoot the ant hill, and then kill all the ants as they leave the ant hill.”

Although the suggested improvements and required upgrades took months to accomplish, yet, now the C-130 Hercules gunship has become an even more formidable cannon in the sky and will be able provide far more suppressing fire power than ever more. The engineers in the 402nd Software Maintenance Group, took the gunship through endless testing and experimentation to perfect the software that would enable the changes required in the gunship.

According to Steve Pollard (C-130 Gunship Test Engineer),

“To turn on the news at night and see something, and know that three months ago I was working on that piece of equipment, there’s no way to describe that for job satisfaction. Everyone who works in here can tell you a similar story.”

Via Air Attack.