AC-130U Spooky gunship special missions aviators load 40 mm and 105 mm rounds into their respective weapon systems during a training flight July 18, 2018, above Eglin Range, Florida. The AC-130U’s primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. The Spookys have been almost constantly deployed since 2001 and are being replaced by the AC-130J Ghostrider, the most lethal and innovative gunship in the world. They completed their final combat deployment this past summer.