UAV gunship

The gunship is designed to supplement the AC-130 in the role of fire support and interdiction.  The use of unmanned aircraft technologies allows the aircraft to carry out the task without placing at risk the lives of several crewmembers.  It is also designed to operate in higher-threat areas, with low-observable technology and modified attack profiles.

Equipment:

AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures
AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning and CM Dispensing system
AN/ALQ-172 ECM
AN/ALQ-190 Jammer
AN/ALR-69 Radar Warning Receiver
QRC/84-02 Infrared Countermeasures
AN/APR-46A Panoramic RF Receiver

Various sensors, such as imaging infrared and low-light television cameras, as well as a laser designator/rangefinder and a marked-target seeker are fitted inside the sensor ball in the nose (a marked target seeker detects reflected laser light from other designators and cues the operator onto the designated target, similar to the pave penny on the A-10).  The pilot has a small forward-looking television camera installed in a fairing above the nose.  A sideward-looking radar is installed behind the hexagonal panel forward of the wing, on the same side as the guns.

These are the same off the shelf electronics used on the AC-130
additional electronics include digital fire control system (with automatic moving target compensator). Uplink is either satellite, or line of sight. Control centers are either Trailers, or Motherships (aircraft orbiting at a safe distance, perhaps a control station on an AWACS or JSTARS or other dedicated control aircraft that can operate high enough to provide line of sight uplink at long distances) 
Possible other sensors can include (when they come out)
AN/ALQ-212 ATIRCM
AN/AAR-57 CMWS 
Datalink: Frequency: C-band
Line of Sight: Yes
Satellite: Yes (UHF and Ku)
GPS: Yes 

The aircraft is fitted with a standard USAF boom and receptacle aerial refueling installation.

The same high-bypass turbofan powering the MD-90 airliner is used to power this gunship.

Armament consists of two evolved Bushmaster cannons (35 and 50mm) firing AHEAD ammunition.  The rounds are packed with submunitions, and can be set to disperse at various altitudes depending on the target.  It can also be instructed to not disperse and hit the target as a solid round.

The aircraft can be flown remotely by a pilot, such as during takeoff or landing, or it can fly autonomously.  During a support mission, it can be instructed to orbit a particular area.  While doing this, the UAV would be free to maneuver or jink, but it would keep the target area "in sight of" the guns.  Actual firing of the guns would be performed either by a remote operator on said trailer or mothership (using the UAV's sensors and a comms link to ground forces to direct the fire) or by a remote designator box.  The designator box is equipped with a laser designator, a datalink, and an imaging infrared camera.  The operator would find a target using the box's camera and lase the target.  The gunship would aim its guns to the designated point, whereupon the operator would pull the trigger and command the UAV to fire.  The box would be fairly large and expensive, and would normally be vehicle mounted.  Normally, only one or two would be distributed at the battalion level, though special operations teams may receive some.

Fire control box (click to expand)

Before taking off, the gunship would be programmed with various backup routines in case of a loss of datalink signal or similar problem.  For example, operators could program it to remain orbiting the target area, waiting for the datalink to reestablish, and return to base at bingo fuel if this is not accomplished.  It can also return to base automatically, or it can fly back and orbit over friendly territory until the datalink is reestablished.  Return to base commands can be overridden by manual operators.