▁A ▁gun ship ▁is ▁a ▁military ▁aircraft ▁armed ▁with ▁heavy ▁guns , ▁primarily ▁intended ▁for ▁attack ing ▁ground ▁targets . ▁▁ ▁In ▁modern ▁usage ▁the ▁term ▁" gun ship " ▁refers ▁to ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft ▁having ▁later ally - mount ed ▁heavy ▁arm aments ▁( i . e . ▁firing ▁to ▁the ▁side ) ▁to ▁attack ▁ground ▁or ▁sea ▁targets . ▁These ▁gun ships ▁were ▁configured ▁to ▁circle ▁the ▁target ▁instead ▁of ▁performing ▁st raf ing ▁runs . ▁Such ▁aircraft ▁have ▁their ▁arm ament ▁on ▁one ▁side ▁harm on ized ▁to ▁fire ▁at ▁the ▁a pe x ▁of ▁an ▁imag inary ▁cone ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁the ▁ground ▁when ▁performing ▁a ▁p yl on ▁turn ▁( bank ing ▁turn ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁term ▁hel ic opter ▁gun ship ▁is ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁armed ▁hel ic op ters . ▁ ▁Term in ology ▁The ▁term ▁gun ship ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁as ▁a ▁syn onym ▁for ▁gun bo at ▁and ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁heavily ▁armed ▁iron cl ad ▁steam ships ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁av iation ▁ ▁Bom ber ▁esc ort ▁During ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁us able ▁esc ort ▁f ighter ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Air ▁Forces ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁Theatre ▁of ▁Oper ations ▁led ▁to ▁experiments ▁in ▁dram atically ▁increasing ▁the ▁arm ament ▁of ▁a ▁standard ▁Bo eing ▁B - 1 7