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 a 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 the Spec Ops mission, Overwatch. It lasts a total of 40 seconds in multiplayer, and several minutes in Spec Ops. 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 do not 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.
 * 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, do not 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 preferably 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.
 * Using the AT-4 is also useful, since firing near an enemy AC-130 will force it to pop flares. The player will then have to quickly resupply, respawn, or switch to a Stinger in order to finish it off. This is also helpful when a player has first started playing Multiplayer or has just Prestiged, since the AT-4 is the only anti-air launcher available until the player unlocks the Stinger. The AT4 also has the ability to take down the AC-130 in one missile, given that the flares are spent. This means that if a couple of the flares are gone, Fire up your AT4.
 * 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 AC-130, but rather it takes multiple shots in rapid succession to get past the flares.
 * If the Stinger is used together with the Sleight of Hand perk, one can fire its second missile before the AC-130 can fire a second flare, thus allowing one player to take out an AC-130 alone if there is not much help from his/her team.

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).

Trivia
Main Article: AC130/Trivia

Videos
Video:Predator Missile vs AC130|Taking down an AC-130 with a Predator Missile. Video:AC-130 Infinite Ammo Mod|Using an AC-130 with an infinite ammunition mod. Video:Modern Warfare 2 - The AC130 In SSDD - HD|The AC-130 in SSDD. Note it is not a solid object.