End of the Spooky

SPOOKY

So after 40 years the US is phasing out the Spooky, I think one of the best aircraft photo i have seen is the spectre spitting fire.

I thought is was a pretty good CAS platform, do we know if it is being replaced by anything similar or just by UAVs?

Are its capabilities redundant, I always saw it as a type of B-52. unique timeless platform. Perhaps the way America is going they should be reconfigured for homeland security with rubber bullets, smoke and stun grenades!

reply to post by IamSirDrinksalot


Well... that officially sucks. Those aircraft are RIDICULOUS, and savage as a perturbed honey badger! Why they would get rid of them rather than keeping each one till it literally cannot take off any more is beyond me. What a waste!

Wow, there goes the workhorse.

I hope they have a replacement for it. Tho, I doubt it. Considering all the cutbacks, it's almost starting to feel like we're trying to backtrack to how the rest of the world's militaries are behind the 8-ball.

Bit sad to see it retired .. had a few times back in my days with s.o.g when we called them in ... never thought theyd retire it ..

Dry the tears -- as far as I know the plan is still to replace them with a modified J-model. Higher available power, higher speed, and brand new airframes. It'll still be armed with at least one Bushmaster and will get the upgraded precision strike systems for SDB (small diameter bombs) and the Griffin -- and there was talk of arming them with the Hellfire, ala Harvest Hawk. Should be ready for flight testing in the next month or so and ready for service by the time they mothball the older E's and H's.

Just looked it up and she flew 31 JAN 2014.

There is a replacement for this aircraft. It is the AC-130J. There is a article about this newer version right here in ATS in the Aircraft project forum.