IOMAX is to fit two new Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) Cessna C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft with an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system. Global open-source intelligence company Janes reported that the work will see the aircraft fitted with an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, operator console, tactical radio, ground surveillance radar, video datalink, and night-vision-compatible lighting. The Grand Caravan EX single-engine turboprops will be added to a fleet of Caravans the Royal Jordanian Air Force uses extensively for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the country.
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargomaster freighter variant was developed for FedEx. The strutted, high wing 208 typically seats nine passengers in its unpressurized cabin, is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and has a fixed tricycle landing gear, floats, or skis. Certified in 100 countries, 2,600 Caravans have been delivered with nearly 20 million flight hours logged by November 2017.
The 4 ft (1.2 m) longer 208B Super Cargomaster first flew in 1986 and was developed into the passenger 208B Grand Caravan. Engineered for high payloads and short and rough runways, with single-engine economy and simplicity, Caravans are used for flight training to recreation, commuter airlines to VIP transport, cargo carriers and humanitarian missions. The Cessna 208 is used by governmental organizations and by a large number of companies for police, air ambulance, passenger transport, air charter, freight and parachuting operations. FedEx operates 239 aircraft.
A total of 134 Cessna 208s were in military service. U-27A is an United States Department of Defense designation for the Cessna 208. C-16 is an United States Department of Defense designation for proposed variant to be used by the United States Army in El Salvador and Nicaragua during the 1980s. AC-208 Combat Caravan is an ISTAR version built by ATK armed with Hellfire missiles is used by the Iraqi Air Force. MC-208 Guardian multi-role aircraft is built on the Cessna Caravan. It has been selected as one of only 5 remaining competitors to become the United States Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM’s) new Armed Overwatch aircraft.
