'Angel of Death': Video of US gunship unleashing anti-missile flares prompts anger
Critics on social media say the gunship has earned its nickname because it 'murders people'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A tweet from the US Department of Defense of an US Air Force gunship has been met with criticism on social media.
The tweet included a video of AC-130 gunship aircraft nicknamed the “Angel of Death”.
It has been shared more than 4,000 times and shows the plane, a converted Hercules cargo aircraft, unleashing anti-missile flares which are intended to confuse heat-seeking projectiles.
They burn at more than 500C and the pattern that emerges resembles a pair of wings.
“Her-cu-les, Her-cu-les! You don’t want to be on the receiving end of this gunship, aka the Angel of Death,” the US Department of Defence tweeted, a line from the 1996 movie The Nutty Professor.
The US Air Force has been using the gunship for 50 years to provide armed reconnaissance and close support to ground troops.
Critics on social media said it was called the Angel of Death because it “murders people”.
Twitter user Zach Carter added: “The Angel of Death was used to flatten most of Indochina, killing millions of people in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The blood lust of the US military is disgusting.”
“No other marvel of engineering could have mowed down as many doctors”, another user said. A third added: “Good thing we’re bankrupting America on stuff like this”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments