Orbital ATK wins a $26 mn contract to deliver one AC-208 Caravan gunship aircraft to Lebanon 2905151

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World Defense & Security Industry News - Orbital ATK
 
 
Orbital ATK wins a $26 mn contract to deliver one AC-208 Caravan gunship aircraft to Lebanon
 
Orbital ATK has been awarded a not to exceed $26,134,804 firm-fixed-price contract for support of the Lebanon Cessna 208B Caravan Program. The US-based company will provide one commercial-off-the-shelf Cessna 208B Caravan with a Garmin 1000 baseline glass cockpit, avionics package and Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 turboprop engine, the US DoD announced yesterday, May 28. Work will be performed at Beirut, Lebanon, and is expected to be complete by May 30, 2016.
     
Orbital ATK has been awarded a not to exceed $26,134,804 firm-fixed-price contract for support of the Lebanon Cessna 208B Caravan Program. The US-based company will provide one commercial-off-the-shelf Cessna 208B Caravan with a Garmin 1000 baseline glass cockpit, avionics package and Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 turboprop engine, the US DoD announced yesterday, May 28. Work will be performed at Beirut, Lebanon, and is expected to be complete by May 30, 2016.
The AC-208 Caravan gunship aircraft firing an AGM-114 Hellfire missile
     
Modification of the 208B Caravan will include an AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser system, Terma aircraft survivability equipment suite missile warning system, broadcast microwave system data link system, surveillance tracking and recording system mission processor unit obsolescence re-design and hard points on each wing capable of carrying and employing AGM-114 Hellfire Missiles.

Orbital ATK will also equip the Combat Caravan with an L-3 Wescam MX-15D electro-optical/infrared sensor. An ATK-developed STAR fire control system allows an onboard operator to attack targets identified on the MX-15D.

The gunship capability package is part of Orbital ATK's Special Mission Aircraft product portfolio, which provides advanced capabilities to customer platforms, including a roll-on, roll-off palletized approach.

The Cessna C-208B is a single-engine aircraft with a cruise speed of 197 miles per hour and a range of about 1,400 miles. Orbital ATK had previously modified the Lebanese-owned aircraft by adding an electro-optical sensor, communications and aircraft self-protection equipment.

Lebanon is the second acknowledged customer for ATK's AC-208. The Iraqi air force has received 11 C-208 turboprops modified by ATK. Three serve as reconnaissance aircraft and five are assigned as trainers, and three other AC-208Bs are armed.