AC-130

The AC-130H Spectre is a gunship used by the United States Air Force in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
On the PC and consoles, the AC-130 only appears in the missions "Death From Above" and "Hunted". On the DS, it is in the level "Spectre". The gunship is armed with a 105mm cannon, with a very wide blast radius, but it must reload after each shot and has long reload phase. It has the widest view in the Gunship, making it good for spotting ground targets. The 40mm Bofors auto-cannon creates small explosions and is fully automatic, though the firing rate is comparably slower to what some players consider "fully automatic". The 25mm Gatling gun is an automatic rapid-fire weapon with the highest zoom and least splash damage, making it very useful when friendlies and enemies are close to each other. The 40mm Bofors and 25mm Gatling gun has unlimited ammunition and does not reload like the 105mm cannon. This ability is lost in Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The AC-130 returns as an obtainable killstreak in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, and is featured in one the Spec Ops mission, Overwatch. It lasts a total of 40 seconds in multiplayer, and several minutes in Spec Ops. It's also seen in the campaign level Exodus, where it's going down when Overlord orders Foley and his team to go to 4677 Bookmere Road. It is obtained by an 11 killstreak, or 10 with Hardline.

Using the AC-130

 * If there are targets in a building, try firing directly outside doors or windows as splash damage will travel inside and kill nearby players.
 * The 105mm should not be wasted on just one person. The 105mm cannon should be used to wipe out newly spawned enemies or large groups of enemies, while the 40mm/25mm cannons are better suited for just one person or for use while the 105mm cannon is reloading.
 * Killing an enemy in a building can lead up to many more kills, as that same player will spawn multiple times. If the player is having trouble killing an enemy inside of a building, it is advised to let them be, as he can waste a lot of valuable time.
 * Don't rely on just the 105mm, it takes a while to reload and ticks off precious seconds that could be used to score another kill with the 40mm and/or 25mm cannons.
 * The AC-130 can easily destroy most other killstreak rewards since it flies at a high altitude.
 * If people are ganging up to shoot down the AC-130, the player should take them out quickly because the AC-130 can only deflect two rockets with its angel flares.
 * If playing an objective game such as Capture the Flag, players should launch 105mm shells at the enemy flag to kill ambushers. It is recommended to watch out for teammates that are attacking the objective on Hardcore modes, as the player can kill a teammate with Friendly Fire, this can force the player to sit out and lose the AC-130.
 * The AC-130 is not as effective on maps with lots of buildings, as they offer cover to enemy players.
 * The player using the AC-130 will hear a warning siren when a missile is tracking them; if the missile is diverted there will be a beeping sound similar to one on board an airplane, when flares are launched.
 * After taking out a large group of enemies, kill any stragglers, but don't waste too much time attempting to kill them, as the player may often notice that another large group of enemies has spawned during the time that he has spent killing the straggler, and possibly even moved to cover.
 * For large groups, use the 105mm or the 40mm. To take precision shots in busy combat zones (especially in hardcore modes), it is wise to use the 25mm Gatling Gun.
 * Because using the 25mm Gatling gun displays the players view at the highest zoom, making it very difficult to track more than one or two players in close proximity of each other, it is advisable to use the 40mm cannon on single enemies due to its rapid fire, greater damage radius, and wider view area.
 * When using the 105mm shells or the 40mm cannon, pay attention to the "range to target" (time difference between fired shot and shell impact) as well as the damage radius. Careful consideration of both of these factors will allow the player to effectively "lead" targets (aiming in front of a moving target) in order to minimize close misses which waste valuable time.
 * When the timer in the AC-130 is almost gone (the time left to control the AC-130 is displayed on the bottom right corner of the screen), the player should fire off a 105mm and a few 40mm rounds if they can; this could result in the player getting another kill, or even kill off an entire group of players, if the player is lucky enough. (Note that the timer will start at 0:43 and will pull the player out at 0:03)
 * Be very careful using the 105mm on Hardcore, the player could easily kill a teammate with additional splash damage.
 * After the player has fired his 105mm cannon, don't switch to the 40mm cannon immediately - use the 105mm's low zoom to find the enemies first, then switch to the 40mm and fire.
 * A direct hit from the 40mm inflicts enough damage to destroy any hostile killstreaks.
 * The 25mm Gatling gun can be used to shoot through cover (e.g. metal sheeting) to kill enemies inside some buildings on maps such as Favela.

Against an AC-130

 * If an enemy AC-130 is in the air, switch to a class with Cold Blooded, a Javelin or a Stinger. Players should team up with a friend or use Scavenger to destroy the AC-130 with 3 missiles. Sleight of Hand can also be effective for firing two missiles off quickly. However, the AC-130 may randomly fire it's flares without being provoked to do so. This can be the player's chance to shoot it down so be observant. Also, whenever the AC-130 pops it's flares it makes a noise that can be heard if the player is not being shot at or if it is not firing.
 * Walking in open ground is nothing more than suicide for those without Cold-Blooded. Try to remain under solid cover and avoid any openings.
 * Avoid calling in Helicopters or Harriers because the AC-130 gunner can easily destroy them.
 * If the player is watching the minimap when the AC-130 is aloft, players may notice a small airplane icon on the outside, that is where the gunship is facing the map. This can give the player a rough idea as to where to hide and when to move if the gunship exploits the player's hiding spot. This may not be necessary if the player is in a room deep inside a building, or in the basement of a house where there are almost no openings that could kill the player.
 * A Predator Missile can destroy an AC-130, but only if the missile banks hard to the side of the map that the AC-130 is on. In other words, the player would have to be both very lucky and very observant.
 * Beware, Cold-Blooded only protects the player from showing up on thermals. If the player is next to a teammate and the AC-130 fires on the teammate it is very likely that the player will also be killed.
 * When firing rockets at the AC-130, it is recommended to move away from the particular spot after firing, since the player controlling the AC-130 may find the smoke trail and fire some 105mm and 40mm rounds around the area in an attempt to kill the person, so make sure to move away, or take cover inside a building afterwards.
 * If attempting to take cover in a building, try to avoid small buildings, as an AC-130 can easily fire its cannons in a doorway or window and possibly kill the player.
 * The player gets 400XP for shooting down an AC-130.
 * The player can take out the AC-130 as it reloads its flares by shooting it right after a teammate fires his missile.
 * It only takes one shot from a Stinger or a Javelin to destroy an AC130, but rather it takes multiple shots in rapid succession to get past the flares,

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
The AC-130 returns in Modern Warfare: Mobilized as one of the three usable vehicles, the others being the M1 Abrams and the Humvee. The AC-130 has also gotten an increase in damage for most weapons, as the 20mm Vulcan cannon is capable of taking out enemy T-72s, as well as an increase in bullet speed and rate of fire; the 105mm Howitzer is capable of taking out large buildings in around two shots. Unlike previous games, where the player could only fail by attacking friendlies and no-fire zones, the AC-130 can now be shot down by enemy anti-air vehicles, supposedly BM-21s.

The AC-130 is only used in the level "Clearing the Way", though seen giving the player air support in "Winter Assault" and guiding the player in "Last Chance". The main use of the AC-130 is not to protect allies, but to take out enemy vehicles (BM-21s, T-72s, Hinds), and destroy enemy structures, (Communications building, water tower, other unnamed buildings).

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

 * In "Death From Above", there is actually no AC-130. This can be seen using the 'noclip' console command on the PC.
 * Possibly enemies in "Death from Above" originally were to be marked with blinking corners, or, they were made for debug. This can be enabled through console. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer they were replaced with red boxes.
 * Although "Death from Above" loadscreen says that an AC-130H Spectre is used in the mission, the AC-130 used is an AC-130U Spooky, as the AC-130H does not have a 25mm GAU-12 Gatling Gun. The mission year is 2011, and AC-130H had 20mm M61 Vulcan Cannon instead of 25mm Gatling Gun prior to year 2000. The AC-130 in Modern Warfare: Mobilized is an old edition of AC-130H.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * If a player's opponent locks on to the AC-130, frantic beeping will be heard. If the Angel Flares were able to misguide the missile the player will hear a "Ding-Dong" sound, similar to the hull breach at Mile High Club.
 * The parts of the plane and the shots fired (with the exception of the 25mm) can now be seen compared to MW1's Death From Above, where it is just a screen and explosions.
 * In Multiplayer, when an enemy AC-130 is called in, the multiplayer announcer will announce this with a terrified voice except for the Task Force 141 announcer Ghost, who remains relatively calm. This is easier to hear on the Spetsnaz team. This video, shows all the factions' reactions to an enemy AC-130 Spectre.
 * In Multiplayer, the AC-130 has a countdown of 43 seconds to when the player is back on the ground. However, it takes the player out of AC-130 mode 3 seconds early.
 * After getting the ability to call in an AC-130 it is recommended to switch to another class which has Danger Close Pro enabled.
 * If a player uses an EMP after using an AC-130, it'll still fly off the map popping flares.
 * In Multiplayer, regardless of whether the player plays as the U.S. Army Rangers/Navy SEALs, or TF141, the crew of the AC-130 will always speak in an American accent, most likely due to the fact that America is the only nation that uses the AC-130 and its variants, and it is reasonable to assume that an allied force would lend assistance. However, the Russians, Brazilian Militia, and OpFor speak in their native languages.
 * When the AC-130 is leaving the battlefield it is still visible but cannot be locked-on or destroyed by any of the launchers. This is signaled by the gunship repeatedly launching flares until it disappears.
 * It is possible to shoot down the players own killstreak rewards with the AC-130 if he isn't careful, as they are hard to distinguish on its thermal. However, enemy kill streaks have red boxes around them.
 * The player can shoot the AC-130 with a primary weapon and hear a metal "cling" sound, but it will not damage it.
 * While inside the AC-130, the American/TF141 crew uses the same comments as in Call of Duty 4 - Death From Above: e.g: "We got a runner...there he is!", "Yup, there's a lot of little pieces down there." etc.
 * If a player gets a game winning killcam with an AC-130 regardless of which gun, they earn the title Death from Above, which is a reference to the Call of Duty 4 level.
 * If a player gets flashbanged on the ground he will be affected while controlling the AC-130.
 * To shoot an AC-130 down with a Predator Missile, the AC-130 must be lined up with the predator drone when the missile is launched. However, on a small map like Rust, a player can take out an AC-130 with a Predator Missile by pulling up on the Left Analog stick (or equivalent) and gaining height. The user can then look for an AC-130 and dive down on the plane. NOTE: This will not work if the user applies the afterburners as the missile will not be able to turn quick enough to catch the AC-130.
 * Oddly, if two or more missiles hit an AC-130 in multiplayer, all contributing players will get points and credit for destroying it.
 * The AC-130 can only deploy two sets of flares in combat; the rest are deployed while leaving the battlefield.
 * The Call of Duty 4 10th prestige emblem is unlocked by completing the AC-130 prestige challenge (1000 AC-130 kills).
 * When an emergency airdrop is used, its an AC-130 that drops the packages, not a C-130. This is strange as the C-130 is known for airdropping equipment into battle. If the player is observant, one can notice that the Emergency Airdrop plane is intended to be a C-130 with the appropriate markings, paint scheme, and cargo space. However, this "C-130" is simply a re-textured AC-130.
 * If the player is able to go to the AC-130 on spectate he can see that the propellers are actually not moving and that when he fires the guns the round actually comes from behind the plane rather than the gun. Video
 * The AC-130U is sold exclusively to the US Air Force; its use by non-US affiliated factions, like the OpFor and Spetsnaz, is completely inaccurate. However, for simplicity's sake, or due to capturing AC-130s by other countries, it was added to all teams.
 * In the Spec Ops level "Overwatch", the player using the AC-130 can actually kill themselves with it. The player's teammate has to shoot the AC-130, and if lucky, the player will get hit by the teammate, causing the sights of the 105mm gun to aim upwards at the wing. If the player shoots the 105mm at the right moment, he will shoot the wing, causing the player to die.
 * In "Overwatch", the 25mm Gatling gun fires bursts fully automatically, and the 40mm cannon semi-automatically without needing to reload, just like in Death From Above.
 * In Hardcore game modes, an AC-130 is able to shoot down its teammates' air support.
 * In Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, the AC-130 is the only killstreak that doesn't disappear when its icon on the mini-map does. It stays longer so the player can see it launch the flares and leave the battlefield.
 * Strangely, when the player calls in an AC-130, it just appears out of nowhere in the sky, but if the player calls in a Chopper Gunner, it takes time to get to the battlefield.
 * Many players who encounter the AC-130 often learn which gun is being fired simply from the sounds. The 105mm has a low, distant thud. The 40mm has high pitched, 3 round burst thud. And finally, the 20mm has a distant "Brrt" sound. Depending on how experienced the gunner is, however, players may not hear the sound of the guns firing as most people cycle through the 105, 40, and 20 in rapid succession.
 * In the 2010 movie, The A-Team, there is an AC-130 gunship attempting to kill Hannibal and his team. The remote pilot, after launching what looked like the 40mm guns, comments on the destruction, saying, "Wow, that looks just like Call of Duty."
 * It is possible to get a headshot with any of the weapons mounted on the AC-130, just like it is possible to get a headshot with a Predator Missile.
 * The AC-130's cannons cannot turn to the edges of some maps. This can cause problems on maps such as Derail and Wasteland, as many of the spawns are near the edges of the maps.
 * The AC-130 is the weakest non-passive killstreak in the game, as it has only 1000 HP, although it can only be destroyed via launchers, Predator Missiles or an EMP.
 * If the player kills himself with an AC-130 in multiplayer, the voice will make a remark.
 * There was a Mod in the early months of the game's release where the user would not need to reload any weapons, including the AC-130's Cannons. This can be seen in the video below.
 * The in-game model for the AC-130 is actually very small, about the size of a UAV. This can be observed in Spectator mode or when attempting to destroy it with a Predator missile.
 * The 'Spectre' challenge is a reference to the AC-130H nickname 'Spectre', When in game, The user controls an AC-130U, nicknamed 'Spooky' instead.
 * There is a glitch where after the AC-130 has finished its use, it will stay circling the air for about another minute until flying away without popping its flares.
 * There is also another glitch where the AC-130 pops either an extra flare, or sometimes a few more. This makes shooting down the AC-130 a LOT harder.
 * If a second AC-130 is called in, it will appear right where the other one left.
 * If a Host Migration occurs while in the AC-130, The timer will still be going. But the timer will hit zero and nothing will happen and the player will be able to control the AC-130 for as long as they want. However players catch on and will shoot the plane down.