Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile-Armed AC-130J Gunships Could Be On The Horizon
Harpoons would give AC-130Js a dedicated tool for engaging enemy ships and fit well with plans to boost their capabilities with new radars.
Joseph Trevithick
Published May 7, 2025 8:22 PM EDT
U.S. Special Operations Command has test-loaded an AGM-84 Harpoon missile onto an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. The addition of the Harpoon to the AC-130J’s arsenal would give the gunship an all-new dedicated standoff anti-ship capability, which could be particularly relevant in a future large-scale conflict in the Pacific. Harpoon would also pair well with separate plans to expand the long-range targeting capabilities of the Ghostrider with the help of a new active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar.
Maj. Andrew Monroe, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) Detachment 1, mentioned the Harpoon load test during a talk at the annual SOF Week conference earlier today, at which TWZ was in attendance. Based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Detachment 1 is primarily responsible for developmental testing related to the AC-130J, as well as the MC-130J Commando II special operations tanker/transport and OA-1K Skyraider II special operational light attack aircraft. The unit also supports integration work for special operations aircraft, broadly, as well as special operations aviation capability demonstrations.
An AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. USAF Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim
“Over the last year, our team executed Precision Strike Package testing, Harpoon loading, and Small Cruise Missile integration and launch efforts off the AC 130J,” Maj. Monroe said.
Precision Strike Package (PSP) is the official term for the AC-130J’s armament package, as well as the associated sensors and fire control systems. Small Cruise Missile (SCM), which features a 400-mile range, is another current effort to add a new standoff strike capability to the Ghostrider, which you can read more about here.
https://www.twz.com/air/harpoon-anti-ship-missile-armed-ac-130j-gunships-could-be-on-the-horizon
