After nearly 60 years in flight, US Air Force special operators took their AC-130 gunship to Australia for the first time

• US Air Force special operators took their AC-130J to Australia for an exercise in July.
• It's the first time the AC-130 has been to Australia since the gunship was introduced in the 1960s.
• The AC-130 is valued by ground troops, and the Air Force is working on updates to keep it relevant.

In late July and early August, the Australian military held a record-setting military exercise with troops from 13 countries, including the US.

But before the start of this year's Talisman Sabre exercise — the largest edition ever — US special operators arrived Down Under with some of their most capable and valuable aircraft.