A military aircraft or vessel heavily armed with guns and weapons for combat or close air support missions.
From 'gun' plus 'ship,' originally referring to armed naval vessels, later applied to heavily-armed military aircraft like helicopters or transport planes converted to combat use in the 20th century.
The AC-130 gunship—a converted transport plane with multiple cannons and machine guns—can rain down devastating firepower on ground targets, and its distinctive rumbling sound has become legendary in military history; troops in combat zones can actually hear the difference between friendly gunships and enemy aircraft.
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