What Role Does The Lockheed AC-130 Gunship Play In The US Air Force?

There are dozens of variants of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, all of which serve a variety of mission roles, but one stands out as quite an oddity. The Lockheed AC-130J Ghostrider is a heavily armed, long-range gunship designed to inflict maximum enemy damage with guns as its primary weapon.