With a demonstrated range of at least 400 miles, the AGM-190A small cruise missile would give the AC-130J Ghostrider reach “far greater” than the gunship’s current armament, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) officials said as they outlined plans to test the missile together with an active electronically‑scanned array (AESA) radar.
SOCOM’s PEO‑FW and the AC‑130J Precision Strike Package
Col. Justin Bronder, head of SOCOM’s Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing (PEO‑FW), told reporters at SOF Week that the command is moving to integrate an AESA radar and the AGM‑190A into the AC‑130J’s Precision Strike Package (PSP). SOCOM’s FY2027 budget request includes nearly $5.9 million “to integrate AESA radar capabilities into the PSP,” the budget documents state, adding that the work “includes software and hardware development to incorporate the AESA functionality into the Battle Management System and other associated AC‑130J systems.”
AGM‑190A “Havoc Spear”: origin, nickname, and reach
The AGM‑190A is the formal U.S. military designation for a small cruise missile developed by Leidos, previously called Black Arrow. SOCOM also refers to the missile by the nickname Havoc Spear. Col. Bronder described the effort as “our unique teaming with Leidos, that started with a CRADA [Cooperative Research and Development Agreement], that accelerated through an express development program on the now called AGM‑190 Havoc Spear affordable cruise missile.”
The missile’s “demonstrated range of at least 400 miles” is substantially longer than the ranges of the AC‑130J’s current armaments — such as its 30mm automatic cannon, 105mm howitzer, and precision bombs — and is the principal reason SOCOM sees the AGM‑190A as a potential game‑changer for the gunship’s mission set.
AESA radar options and the AN/APG‑83 (SABR) pathfinding
Officials say the other core element is an AESA radar integrated into the PSP. Col. Bronder and SOCOM documents note the AESA would “enhance the AC‑130J’s situational awareness, precision targeting, and survivability” while replacing phased‑out legacy radars. SOCOM added the capability could “enable the Gunship to close Joint Force kill webs and expand its role in support of USINDOPACOM and Western Hemisphere operations.”
What specific AESA will be selected remains unclear. At last year’s SOF Week, Col. Bronder said there was “pathfinding” involving Northrop Grumman’s AN/APG‑83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). AFSOC told TWZ in August 2025 it is “exploring the development and use of the AESA Radar on the AC‑130J” but would “not discuss the type of radar due to operational security.” The AN/APG‑83’s advertised capabilities — including synthetic aperture mapping and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) data — are cited in public descriptions and in the reporting as useful complements to stand‑off weapons.
Budget signal and planned demonstrations
SOCOM’s FY2027 budget request and recent remarks signal a near‑term plan to demonstrate the coupled capability. The command is “looking to see how we can augment and accelerate fielding those types of capabilities for the SOF fleet,” Col. Bronder said, and added the AGM‑190 program “has really been moving along quite, quite quickly.” SOCOM documents and service remarks frame the effort as software and hardware integration work to incorporate AESA functionality into the AC‑130J’s Battle Management System and associated systems ahead of fielding.
How AFSOC, USINDOPACOM, and the Air Force are affected
- AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command): Col. Bronder said close teaming with AFSOC partners aims “to really collapse that development and operational test timeline,” indicating AFSOC would be directly involved in operational testing and accelerated fielding efforts.
- USINDOPACOM: SOCOM budget language explicitly links the AESA‑plus‑AGM‑190A combination to expanding the AC‑130J’s role in support of USINDOPACOM, reflecting an interest in extending the gunship’s reach for operations in the Indo‑Pacific region.
- The Air Force: Col. Bronder noted ongoing discussions with the Air Force about the Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) program to explore “service‑to‑SOF or SOF‑to‑service transition,” and the reporting states Leidos is developing an AGM‑190A derivative for the Pentagon’s Low‑Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) effort.
The planned demonstration of an AESA radar paired with the AGM‑190A would mark a significant shift in how the AC‑130J is armed and employed: extending engagement range from close‑support rounds to stand‑off cruise missiles and adding radar modes that can provide real‑time midcourse updates and GMTI tracks. SOCOM leaders call the integration a “formidable capability” — a phrase used by U.S. Navy Adm. Frank Bradley in his SOF Week keynote — and the command has budget and program language aimed at accelerating tests and fielding in the near term.
Whether those demonstrations translate into rapid operational use, wider service adoption, or export into other weapon families will depend on the outcomes of the integration work, the operational tests AFSOC will help run, and how the AGM‑190A lines up with broader Pentagon procurement efforts already underway.
