The U.S. Air Force confirmed in mid-2019 that the AC-130U gunship (affectionately known as "spooky") had finished its final combat deployment. The last Spooky gunship returned from a mission to Hulbert Field, Florida, on July 8. Spooky's final ride ushers in the new era of the AC-130J Ghostrider. So as Spooky's illustrious career pridefully rises to the rafters, we look back on some of the coolest facts about the AC-130U gunship.

1. Each one costs about $190 million 

According to the USAF website, one Spooky AC-130U runs about $210 million. Compare this to the infamous "brrrrrt brrrrrt" A-10 Warthog's total unit cost of $20 million. This makes the AC-130U one of the single most expensive units in the Air Force. The rest of these facts make Spooky's price tag make a bit more sense.

2. It takes a crew of 13 to operate

The cockpit of the AC-130U, 2016.

(Senior Airman Taylor Queen)


3. It can attack two targets simultaneously 

The "fire control system" in the AC-130U is capable of targeting two separate targets, up to one kilometer apart, and then engaging each target individually with two different guns. This versatile offensive advantage is referred to, simply as "dual-target attack capability." And you thought your job required multi-tasking.

4. It was originally nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon"

The AC-47 "Puff the Magic Dragon", 1965.

The original (and unofficial) nickname was "Puff the Magic Dragon." This nickname came about for the predecessor of the AC-130U. The predecessor was the Douglas AC-47 Spooky. It was developed and utilized during the Vietnam War. "Puff" ran so that "Spooky" could walk.

5. It contains over 609,000 lines of software 


6. Only 47 AC-130s have ever been built...

In a testament to both the maintainers quality of work, and the exorbitant price tag—only 47 AC-130s (of any variant) have ever been built... since the Vietnam War. Another reason why so few have been built is because their role in nighttime counter insurgency is incredibly specific. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

7. And only 7 AC-130s have been lost
