The Britten-Norman Defender is a multi-role utility transport aircraft, manufactured by
Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. It is the military version of the
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial airc ...
, developed for roles such as utility transport, casualty evacuation, counter-insurgency and light attack, forward air control, patrol and reconnaissance. The term 'Britten-Norman Defender' refers to all militarised variants of the BN-2 product line including the BN-2 Piston Defender, the BN-2T Turbine Defender (sometimes known as the Defender 2000), the BN-2T-4R Defender (also known as AEW Defender and highlighted by its large bulbous nose) and the stretched variant BN-2T-4S, designated Defender 4000 (sometimes known as D4K).
Development
First flown in May 1970, the Defender was based on the civilian Islander, and has a larger
airframe
The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system.
Airframe design is a field of aeros ...
with four underwing
hardpoint
A hardpoint is an attachment location on a structural frame designed to transfer force and carry an external or internal structural load, load. The term is usually used to refer to the mounting points (more formally known as a weapon station o ...
s for pylons to attach of fuel tanks, bombs, missiles, 7.62-mm (0.3-inch) machine-gun pods, rocket pods, flares, sensors and other stores.
The BN-2B (piston version) and BN-2T (turbine version) are used in military, coastguard, and police operations in several countries.
Defender 4000

The BN-2T-4S Defender 4000 is an enhanced version of the BN-2T Defender intended for the aerial surveillance role. Compared to earlier Defenders, it has a stretched fuselage, the enlarged wing from the
Trislander, a new nose structure capable of accommodating an EO/IR sensor and
radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
, and an increased payload.
The prototype Defender 4000 first flew in 1995 and entered production in 1997.
Operational history
Law enforcement use
The
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
deployed one Defender for electronic aerial surveillance on the
Branch Davidians
The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, or the Branch Seventh-day Adventists) are a religious sect founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General A ...
' compound during the
siege of Waco in 1993.
In August 2017, in an attempt to calm a gang war in Copenhagen, the Danish police force used at least one of the Danish National Guard's two Defenders to fly reconnaissance missions over the city.
Military use
The Mauritanian Air Force employed six BN-2A-21 Defenders in the
Western Sahara War
The Western Sahara War (, , ) was an armed conflict between the Sahrawi indigenous Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 (and Mauritania from 1975 to 1979), being the most significant phase of the Western Sahara conflict. The confl ...
against
POLISARIO forces in 1976, losing two of them in action.
A
Rhodesian Air Force
The Rhodesian Air Force (RhAF) was an air force based in Salisbury (now Harare) which represented several entities under various names between 1935 and 1980: originally serving the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, it was th ...
Alouette III, configured as a gunship or 'K-Car' (20mm cannon), shot down a
Botswana Defence Force Air Wing Islander on 9 August 1979.
In 1996, the
Royal Cambodian Air Force deployed its three BN-2 Defenders in support of the dry season offensive against
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
insurgents. The Defenders were armed with machine guns and rockets, and even dropped mortar rounds. One Defender was lost during the operation.
In 2014 the
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) () is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 91 combat ...
sent one of its Defenders to assist a multinational search and rescue party led by the government of
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
in search of the missing
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared from radar on 8 March 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned de ...
.
United Kingdom
In January 2004, the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
placed an urgent order for four BN-2T-4S Defender 4000 aircraft designated the AL Mk 1 for
ISTAR
ISTAR stands for Military intelligence, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, #ISTAR, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employ ...
missions in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
.
The Defender was to be configured similar to the Army
Islander AL Mk 1 and Defenders in use with
Hampshire Constabulary and
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England.
, Greater Manchester Police employed 6,866 police officers, 3,524 memb ...
.
In October 2004, the first aircraft was delivered to
No. 1 Flight AAC and deployed to Iraq that month.
The final Mk 1 was delivered in September 2006 to
No. 651 Squadron AAC which had been reformed to operate the Defender.
The Mk 1 was fitted with a
Wescam MX-15 Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) turret under the nose, cabin-mounted cameras,
COMINT
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is the act and field of intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly u ...
and
C2 equipment.
During the fleet's bi-annual return to the UK for in-depth servicing new ISTAR equipment was fitted.
A second order was placed for four fully re-designed aircraft designated the Mk 2 and a trainer.
In September 2008, the first Mk 2 aircraft and one Mk 1 upgraded to Mk 2 standard were delivered.
The Mk 2 was fitted with
TCAS,
EGPWS, improved
DAS, an improved avionics suite and ISTAR equipment enhancements.
The Mk 2 had a longer endurance than the Mk 1, being able to carry more fuel and also being able to operate at a lower height.
The training variant was also delivered in September 2008 designated the T Mk 3.
The final Mk 2 aircraft was to be delivered by 2012 along with the three Mk 1s upgraded to Mk 2 standard.
In June 2009, the Defender's deployment to Iraq ended with 651 Squadron serving continuously since October 2004 during which time it had provided over 8,000 hours in support of UK Forces.
From January to February 2010, the Defender was trialled in the Middle East with a
Counter-IED capability for potential use in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
Defenders deployed to Afghanistan from November 2010 through to 2012.
In 2012, Defenders flew daily missions prior to and during the
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
.
In April 2019, the Defender was transferred from the Army to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
with
No. 1 Group. The aircraft was re-designated from AL2 (prefix AL for Army liaison) to R2 (prefix R for Reconnaissance).
In July 2021, it was reported that the Defender was retired from service on 30 June 2021 and that Britten-Norman had acquired the fleet and working with the Defence Equipment Sales Authority will convert the aircraft for civilian sale.
Variants
;Defender
:Multi-role utility transport aircraft.
;Maritime Defender
:Armed maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
;Defender 4000
:Enhanced Defender for the urban surveillance, counter-terrorism and maritime surveillance roles.
;AEW Defender
:
Airborne Early Warning aircraft
Operators
;
:
Air Force Home Guard – 2 x BN-2A-26
;
*
Garda Air Support Unit – 1 × Defender 4000.
;
*
Belize Air Wing 1 x BN-2B
;
*
Armed Forces of Malta
The Armed Forces of Malta () is the name given to the combined armed services of Malta. The AFM is a brigade sized organisation consisting of a headquarters and three separate regiments, with minimal air and naval forces. Since Malta is the ...
2 x BN-2T
;
*
National Coast Guard – 1 x BN-2T
;
:
Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie
The Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie (, ) is the national gendarmerie force of the Kingdom of Morocco, and comes under the joint-authority of the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the administration of National Defense, Ministr ...
13 x BN-2T
;
*
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) () is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 91 combat ...
5 x BN-2

;
*
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland.
It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
– 1 × Defender 4000
Former operators
;
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
– 8 x R2, 1 x T3 (transferred in 2019 from
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
Air Corps)
Specifications (Defender 4000)
See also
References
Bibliography
*
External links
BN2T-4S operated by Irish Air Corps for Gardai (Irish police force)
{{Britten-Norman aircraft
Defender
1970s British military utility aircraft
High-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1970
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft