AFSOC seeking new AC-130 munitions

Air Force Special Operations Command is in the market for a new family of standoff, precision-guided munitions to fire from AC-130 gunships.

"This family of munitions, to include small, low-collateral weapons, would be used in the common launch tube," AFSOC spokeswoman Maj. Kristen Duncan wrote in a May 2 email.

A Federal Business Opportunities notice posted in March cited a need to "procure products and services to support integration, test and operations of [standoff precision-guided munitions] on new and existing platforms," according to the Feb. 27 statement of objectives. It also suggests the weapon would be flown on "selected multiservice and special operations forces platforms."

None of the Air Force's current weapons fit the role outlined in the notice, Duncan said.

The next common launch tube weapon would follow Raytheon's AGM-176 Griffin missile and Dynetics' GBU-69 Small Glide Munition -- both standoff, precision-guided weapons. The Griffin entered use about seven years ago and the SGM was fielded within the last year.

"Both these weapons were fielded through non-developmental efforts with industry to keep costs low," Bill Lane, head of AFSOC's strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements division, wrote in a May 5 email. "The latest posting in FedBizOpps is a continuation of our effort to qualify and field a variety of common launch tube weapons through non-developmental efforts with industry."

The newly procured weapon would be used against "traditional AC-130 close air support targets," Lane wrote, like: stationary and moving vehicles without heavy armor; small boats; small, light structures and buildings; people; or any small, soft target.

The notice calls for companies that have worked with C-130s, Cessna Caravans or other platforms to show they can deliver products that are interoperable with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Precision AirDrop Wind Sensing and Tactical Off-Board Sensing programs; the Sierra Nevada Corp.'s integration of other standoff PGM products on special operations platforms; the Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey Joint Program Office and KC-130J Harvest Hawk; the Navy's micro-UAV launcher program; the Army's Joint Air-to-Surface System Program Office and more.