Orbital ATK AC-208 Eliminator

Close-Air Support (CAS) / Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Aircraft [ 2008 ]

Orbital ATK based its AC-208II Eliminator on the existing AC-208 attack platform line - itself based on the Cessna Caravan.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/22/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The Orbital ATK AC-208II "Eliminator" is another entry into the growing field of Close-Air Support (CAS), light attack platforms with a secondary over-battlefield role of Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR). Such aircraft are tempting purchases for budget-minded air services due to their relatively low up-front procurement cost and reduced long-term maintenance / cost commitments. The AC-208II is a modified offshoot of the Cessna Caravan (Model 208) by Cessna / Textron Aviation and stands as the Block II version of the turboprop-powered AC-208 "Armed Caravan" / "Combat Caravan" with broadened tactical value.

The original Armed Caravan form has been flying since 2008.

The aircraft takes on a relatively unique form with its high-mounted wing mainplanes offering excellent lift and short-field operation. The nose section houses the engine fit, a single Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) turboprop of 675 horsepower driving a three-bladed propeller unit, just ahead of the side-by-side seating cockpit. The tail unit is conventional with a single vertical plane and low-set horizontal surfaces. The undercarriage is of a tricycle arrangement.

This military-certified aircraft is equipped with a High-Definition (HD) MX-15HD series EO/IR sensor and is a complete self-contained search, tracking and engagement machine. It can operate in day or night environments within reach of friendly forces on-the-ground and keep a watchful eye on enemy movements and established positions. The aerial system comes complete with a missile warning and countermeasures suite for enhanced survivability over the battlefield. The AC-208II is outfitted to carry up to 4 x AGM-114 "Hellfire" air-to-surface missiles, a one-time tank-killing weapon seen on the Hughes "Apache" series of attack helicopters, under its wing mainplanes (two per wing on dual-rail fittings). Available weapons stations also support 2.75" (unguided) seven-shot rocket pods (one pod per wing). The aircraft is equipped with Orbital ATK's own advanced targeting and Fire Control System (FCS) and the cockpit features armor to protect the crew during low-level fly bys in contested airspace.

The nations of Iraq and Libya both operate the AC-208 series aircraft with Afghanistan set to take on its first (of seven) examples (by way of the United States Air Force) some time in 2018.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

2018 - Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital ATK. As such, the AC-208 is now marketed as part of the Northrop Grumman parent name.

September 2021 - The AC-208 has been eliminated as a contender in the USAF's Armed Overwatch program.

Specifications

Service Year

2008

Origin

United States

Status

ACTIVE
In Limited Service.

Crew

2

Production

50
UNITS

Orbital ATK (Northrop Grumman) - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Afghanistan; Iraq; Libya

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Length

37.6 ft
(11.45 m)

Width/Span

52.1 ft
(15.88 m)

Height

14.9 ft
(4.55 m)

Empty Wgt

4,729 lb
(2,145 kg)

MTOW

8,818 lb
(4,000 kg)

Wgt Diff

+4,090 lb
(+1,855 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Orbital ATK AC-208II Eliminator production variant)

Installed: 1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) turboprop engine developing 675 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller at the nose.

Max Speed

214 mph
(345 kph | 186 kts)

Ceiling

24,606 ft
(7,500 m | 5 mi)

Range

1,243 mi
(2,000 km | 3,704 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,235 ft/min
(376 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Orbital ATK AC-208II Eliminator production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

VARIABLE:
4 x AGM-114 "Hellfire" air-to-surface missile (twin-rail launchers) OR 2 x 2.75" unguided rockets in seven-shot pods held underwing.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft air-to-surface missile

Graphical image of aircraft aerial rockets

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 2

AC-208 "Armed Caravan" / "Combat Caravan" - Base Series Name.

AC-208II "Eliminator" - Block II variant

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.