C-208

                         (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Richard Andrade
 International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs)

A multi-use aircraft used by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is the C-208. It is used for personnel and cargo transport. In addition, it is sometimes used to move injured or wounded soldiers or police.

C-208B Grand Caravan. The AAF has 24 C-208B Grand Caravan that it uses for training, liaison, transport, and casualty evacuation.

AC-208 Eliminator. The AAF will be receiving a number (?) of AC-208 aircraft for armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft are being provided through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program; although, in this case the aircraft are being funded by the U.S. This aircraft was first developed for the Iraqi armed forces.  The aircraft carries two Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and/or two rocket pods on dual-launchers under each wing.

AC-208 Training. The initial plan for training pilots and maintenance personnel on the Combat Caravan was to utilize a training center at Fort Worth, Texas in the United States. However, this was halted after over 40% of the trainees went AWOL from training in the U.S. The training was relocated to Afghanistan. As a result - only one class completed its training in the U.S. 1.

Videos about the C-208

Resolute Support, From the Ground Up: Rebuilding the Afghan Air Force, January 14, 2018. This short video shows the crew of an Afghan Air Force C-208 conducting a parachute resupply mission. (2 mins).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXsiCp29FIA

DVIDS, Afghan C-208 pilots execute new capability, April 7, 2017. Advisors from TAAC-Air have worked with their Afghan counterparts to provide an airdrop capability with the C-208 aircraft.
www.dvidshub.net/video/518070/afghan-c-208-pilots-execute-new-capability

Endnotes

1. See "Afghan pilot training ends after almost half went AWOL in America", by Kyle Rempfer, Air Force Times, May 2, 2019.