The DeHavilland-built Caribou transport aircraft was designed with Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) characteristics. It featured a conventional stressed skin construction and had a cantilever -wing with full-span double-slotted flaps with the outer portions acting as ailerons. It was the first DeHavilland Canada aircraft to feature a retractable undercarriage.

The RCAF initially selected the Caribou to fulfill UN support duties for the Congo purchasing four aircraft along with a range of support equipment. The aircraft were never deployed to the Congo but did see action in an extensive range of UN missions. The Caribou also proved popular with other armed forces such as the United States Army and the Royal Australian and Malaysian Air Forces. The Caribou has seen extensive use as a light tactical transport in a variety of military and now civilian uses.