The AC-208 Combat Caravan is a derivative of the famous Cessna 208 Caravan, being a light attack aircraft manufactured by Alliant techsystems (ATK), a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, based in the USA.
Developed in the 1980s, the Cessna 208 Caravan is a civil enger aircraft widely recognized and used throughout the world, consolidating itself as a prominent option due to its reliability and popularity.
ATK, in turn, modified the Cessna 208 as part of the Combat Caravan project, awarded to the company by the US government in 2008, to develop a combat variant of the aircraft, equipped with advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The American government's objective with this project was to assist in the reconstruction of the Iraqi Air Force.
ATK achieved a major milestone by completing live-fire testing and delivering the first AC-208 Combat Caravan to Iraq just 11 months into the contract. The Iraqi Combat Caravan is certified for both military and civilian use.
Equipped with Hellfire missiles, the aircraft also received significant improvements over the base Cessna Grand Caravan, including an electro-optical targeting system with laser designator, air-to-ground and air-to-air data link, and self-protection capabilities.
The cockpit of the AC-208 Combat Caravan is equipped with tactical displays for the pilot, and ballistic s have been installed to protect both the cockpit and engers. The Combat Caravan operates with the STAR mission system, developed by ATK, which provides reconnaissance and fire control capabilities during day and night. The system includes a compact engine protection unit (MPU), an 18″ Avedon color display and an integrated fire control system.
Regarding missiles, it can be equipped with AGM-114M or AGM-114K Hellfire missiles. The AGM-114 is an air-to-surface missile designed especially for anti-armor combat.
The AGM-114M is laser guided and has an explosive/incendiary fragmentation warhead. The AGM-114K is guided by millimeter wave radar, with a fire and forget system, and has a high-explosive anti-tank warhead with a tandem charge. Both missiles have a range of 8.000 meters. The integrated aiming and fire control system allows the missile to be aimed and launched from the ship itself. ATK plans to add more armaments to the aircraft in the future.
The AC-208 is armed with the AAR-47/ALE-47 defensive countermeasure system, which can operate in automatic, semi-automatic, manual and by modes and is designed to neutralize infrared and radio frequency guided missiles. It features an MX-15D turret equipped with a laser designator, an internal measurement unit (IMU) and a microcontroller, with the ability to accommodate up to six sensors. The aircraft s VHF and UHF communications and includes BMS A/G and A/A data links, as well as other data links. Off-board data links allow live video to be transmitted to ground stations or other aircraft.
The AC-208 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine, delivering 675shp.
ATK has received a number of C-208 modification orders from the US. In 2009, the company completed the modification of 11 aircraft, including three reconnaissance versions called RC-208B, five training variants called C-208B, and three AC-208B Combat Caravans. The third AC-208B was delivered in November 2009.
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