Aircraft & UAVs

AC-208 Combat Caravan

The AC-208 Combat Caravan is an armed conversion of the Cessna Caravan that pairs a rugged single-engine turboprop airframe with electro-optical surveillance sensors and AGM-114 Hellfire precision-strike capability. Iraq used the type as a low-cost armed ISR and close-air-support platform in the 2013-2017 war against ISIS, especially during fighting in Anbar around Fallujah and Ramadi.

War in Iraq (2013-2017)Iraqi government and coalition forces

Conflict side: Iraqi government and coalition forces
Built by: Orbital ATK; CessnaTextron Aviation airframe
Built in: United States

AC-208 Combat Caravan, Armed ISR and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs

Image source: Iraqi Cessna AC-208

Profile

Type: Armed ISR and light attack aircraft
Conflict side: Iraqi government and coalition forces
Origin: United States
Service note: Iraqi service from 2008; documented combat use from January 2014

aircraft close air support precision fires reconnaissance isrhellfire

Service History

In service: In Iraqi Air Force service during counter-ISIS operations
Used by: Iraqi Air Force
Wars: War in Iraq (2013-2017)

Production History

Designer: Cessna airframe; ATK/Orbital ATK mission conversion
Designed: Cessna Caravan first flew in 1982; armed AC-208 conversion delivered to Iraq from 2008
Built by: Orbital ATK; CessnaTextron Aviation airframe
Built in: United States
Unit cost: 2016 DSCA package for two aircraft and support was estimated at $65.3 million
Produced: Cessna 208 family produced from the 1980s; AC-208 conversions followed under U.S. security-assistance programs
Number built: Iraq originally purchased three AC-208 and three C-208 aircraft in 2008, with two additional AC-208 aircraft requested in 2016
Variants: AC-208 Combat Caravan, AC-208 Eliminator, MC-208 Guardian

Specifications

Crew: Pilot plus mission-system operator or aircrew as configured
Armament: AGM-114 Hellfire missile capability; later AC-208 configurations can integrate 2.75-inch guided rockets
Sensors: Electro-optical/infrared imaging and targeting system; DSCA's 2016 Iraq package listed AN/AAQ-35 EO/IR equipment
Airframe: Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine, high-wing turboprop with fixed landing gear
Dimensions: Cessna Caravan baseline: 37 ft 7 in length, 52 ft 1 in wingspan, 14 ft 10 in height
Performance: Cessna Caravan baseline: 186 ktas maximum cruise speed, 1,070 nm maximum range, 25,000 ft maximum operating altitude
Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A turboprop on the Cessna Caravan baseline

Conflict Usage

War in Iraq (2013-2017): Side: Iraqi government and coalition forcesRole: Armed ISR and close air supportreconnaissance close air support precision fires strike
Iraqi Air Force AC-208s were used during the opening Anbar phase of the war, with January 2014 reporting placing Iraqi Combat Caravan strikes around Fallujah and Ramadi against ISIS or al-Qaeda-linked militants.

AC-208 Combat Caravan Images

AC-208 Combat Caravan, Armed ISR and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1 — Source: Iraqi Cessna AC-208

AC-208 Combat Caravan, Armed ISR and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2 — Source: Iraqi Air Force celebrates 78th Anniversary

AC-208 Combat Caravan, Armed ISR and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 3 — Source: Coalition JTACs raise Air Week off the ground

AC-208 Combat Caravan, Armed ISR and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 4 — Source: Coalition JTACs raise Air Week off the ground

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Sources

Northrop Grumman Special Mission AircraftPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports AC-208 armed Caravan background, manufacturer lineage, reconnaissance and ground-attack role, and Hellfire or guided-rocket payload context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Cessna Caravan SpecificationsPublisher: Textron Aviation | Note: Supports baseline Cessna Caravan airframe dimensions, engine, range, cruise speed, payload, and altitude specifications used for the AC-208 airframe context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Republic of Iraq - AC-208 AircraftPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Supports War in Iraq (2013-2017) direct conflict use: AC/C-208 aircraft used by Iraq to support operations against al-Qaeda affiliate and ISIL forces, plus the 2008 Iraqi purchase and 2016 request for additional AC-208 aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Iraqi Air Force Combat Caravan planes Bomb Al-Qaeda Bases in FallujahPublisher: The Aviationist | Note: Supports War in Iraq (2013-2017) direct conflict use: AC-208 aircraft used by the Iraqi Air Force in January 2014 strikes around Fallujah and Ramadi against ISIS or al-Qaeda-linked militants. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Coalition JTACs raise Air Week off the groundPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary AC-208 photograph and War in Iraq (2013-2017) direct conflict use by noting the aircraft was fielded by the Iraqi Air Force from its January 2014 Anbar combat debut. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Iraqi Cessna AC-208Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for an Iraqi AC-208 Combat Caravan assigned to Squadron 3. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 IqAF edges closer to joint integration after Hellfire missile testPublisher: U.S. Air Forces Central | Note: Supports background, Hellfire integration, Iraqi Squadron 3 operation, and public-domain image provenance for AC-208 missile loading and launch imagery. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Iraqi Air Force celebrates 78th AnniversaryPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports public-domain image provenance for an Iraqi Air Force static display including an AC208 Combat Caravan. | Accessed: 2026-06-21