Maintainers ready gunships for retirement
By Airman 1st Class Eboni Reece, 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs / Published February 05, 2014
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --
After more than four decades with the reputation by many as the Air Force’s “deadliest conventional weapon,” maintainers at the 27th Special Operations Wing are preparing the AC-130H Spectre for retirement.
A major player in every conflict since Vietnam, the AC-130H is now in the hands of maintainers from the 16th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, responsible for inspecting, repairing and maintaining the gunships. Currently there are eight gunships remaining in the Air Force inventory.
“Two of the eight aircraft will be static displays, one to be kept at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the other to be kept here at Cannon,” said Master Sgt. Stephen White, lead production superintendent with the 27th Special Operations Maintenance Squadron. White explained that the remaining six gunships will be transported to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where they will be a part of the famed aircraft boneyard.