At least one of these exercises might be applied to countering China's maritime militia - the force of hundreds of government funded commercial trawlers that provide a constant Chinese presence in Philippine waters. In a little-publicized trial, U.S. Special Operations Command dispatched an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship for a sinking exercise targeting small fishing vessels.
Developed during the Vietnam War for close air support, the AC-130 is a conventional cargo plane bristling with heavy weapons. The basic airframe remains the same as it was nearly 60 years ago, but the latest version has an extended range, advanced electronics, a 105mm howitzer in a specially-designed recoil carriage and a 30mm chain gun. It can also deliver a variety of small bombs and missiles from external weapons pylons.
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