Gunship

A gunship (not to be confused with a gunboat) is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support.

This article is about a kind of military aircraft. For small armed watercraft, see gunboat.

An AC-130H gunship from the 16th Special Operations Squadron

In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft having laterally-mounted heavy armaments (i.e. firing to the side) to attack ground or sea targets.^[1][2] The term "gunship" originated in the mid-19th century as a synonym for gunboat and also referred to the heavily armed ironclad steamships used during the American Civil War.^[3]

The term helicopter gunship is commonly used to describe armed helicopters.

World War II aviation

The B-25 bomber was heavily armed with 75mm and .50 caliber machine guns.

Attack aircraft

During World War II, the urgent need for hard-hitting attack aircraft led to the development of the heavily armed gunship versions of the North American B-25 Mitchell.

The B-25 bomber was heavily armed with 75mm and .50 caliber machine guns.

Post–World War II aviation

Fixed-wing aircraft

The AC-47 provided CAS with three port side mounted 7.62 mm miniguns.

In the more modern, post-World War II fixed-wing aircraft category, a gunship is an aircraft having laterally-mounted heavy armaments (i.e. firing to the side) to attack ground or sea targets.^[1][2]

The Douglas AC-47 Spooky was the first notable modern gunship.

Helicopter gunships

The Mil Mi-24 was one of the first dedicated gunship helicopters.