Tunisia receives Grand Caravan EX aircraft

One of four new Textron 208 Grand Caravan EX aircraft to be used by Tunisia for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over North Africa. (US Embassy in Tunisia)

Tunisia has received four Textron 208 Grand Caravan EX aircraft to be used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over North Africa.

Both the Tunisian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the US Embassy in Tunisia announced the delivery on 9 September, with the event at Al Aouina Air Base/Tunis-Carthage International Airport in Tunis attended by Tunisian Minister of National Defence Khaled Sehili, US Ambassador Joey Hood, and other senior military and political dignitaries.

“These aircraft will support the operational capabilities of the air force in the field of information, surveillance, and reconnaissance thanks to their characteristics, accuracy in carrying out tasks, and speed in passing data, which will help confront terrorism and transnational organised crime and serve security and peace at the national and regional levels,” the MoD quoted Sehili as saying.

“The delivery of these four aircraft, valued at a total of TND165 million (USD54 million), including long-term training and maintenance, represents a significant enhancement to the Tunisian Air Force's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities,” the US Embassy in Tunisia said.

An information board displayed at the delivery ceremony said that the four Grand Caravans will be operated by the 41st Air Unit. As the Tunisian Air Force does not operate ‘air units', this likely translates to 41 Squadron. For Tunisia, the Grand Caravans will augment 12 Maule MX‐7‐180B Star Rocket light aircraft that are equipped with Cloud Cap Technology's TASE400 electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) imaging sensor systems for surveillance of insurgent activity along the western border area. Digital communications equipment is also employed aboard the aircraft to alert ground forces tasked with interdiction.