US Special Operations Forces out of Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) released thermal footage showing an AC-130J "Ghostrider" gunship firing on practice targets over the Caribbean Sea on Dec. 7, 2023.

The demonstration was meant reassure allies and send a stern message to competitors in the region as tensions escalate. In recent years, the South American nation of Guyana discovered massive off-shore oil and gas reserves and Venezuela is now claiming two-thirds of Guayana's coastal areas.

The AC-130J is the fifth generation gunship of the AC-130 gunship family whose service dates back to the Vietnam War. The Ghostrider is packed with advanced avionics, and its armament includes 30mm and 105mm cannons as well as GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, GBU-69 Small Glide Munitions, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, and AGM-176 Griffin missiles.

About the Author

Will Killmore

Will Killmore is a US Army combat infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient. He has deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the 172nd Stryker Brigade and 173rd Airborne Brigade. Following his time in service, he successfully pursued a certificate of journalism and has been a blogger for Funker530 since 2014. Follow Will’s bad takes on Twitter