Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Britten-Norman Defender

1989 COLD WAR MODERN AIRCRAFT

History of the Britton Norman linebacker

The Britten-Norman Defender is a militarized version of the successful twin-turboprop Britten-Norman Islander aircraft. Islander emerged in the 1960s and became a global entity, producing and shipping more than 1,200 examples by the end of its tenure.

In these missions, the type proved adequate for a variety of mission requirements, which only helped cement its legacy as a durable STOL (short take-off and landing) airframe. After financial difficulties, Britton Island was acquired by two Omani businessmen (brothers of the Zawawi family) and formed the B-N Group. Today, Islander and Defender are still marketed in different product lines to increase their range.

The Islander/Defender replaces the Beaver in British Army inventory and is just one of two fixed-wing aircraft currently in service with the Army Air Force.

Defender has since held a variety of roles including counter-insurgency (mainly during operations in Northern Ireland), reconnaissance, surveillance and light utility transport. Other lunge types in defender strength include light attack and forward air control (FAC) when needed.

Since its entry into service, the Defender has proven to be a capable and resilient platform, giving rise to "Maritime Defender" - a name that covers an armed maritime version of the basic Defender multipurpose transport. The Defender officially joined the British Army on 10 March 1989.

The design is purely functional, most typically characterized by an elevated monoplane wing. Each wing is powered by an Allison 250-B17F turboprop engine driving a three-bladed propeller. The cockpit compartment is well kept forward in the rectangular hull with board edges and has a useful angled nose for improved downward visibility. The landing gear is a traditional tricycle arrangement, consisting of two twin-tire main gear legs and a single-tire nose gear leg - overall, the gear is non-retractable.

The tail is dominated by a single large-area vertical tail with a truncated top and some sweep along the leading edge. The elevator is attached to the rudder. Typical accommodation is for two pilots and up to six passengers. Entry/exit is through side doors, two at the front and two at the back. Her gross weight is listed as 7,000 pounds.

Each wing can deploy four hardpoints for various ammunition options, including cannon pods, rocket pods and bombs (if required), or external fuel tanks for longer retention and operational range. Dedicated reconnaissance and surveillance units are outfitted with appropriate custom equipment, cameras and jammers, and multiple communication options.

The Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Defender is equipped with an ugly looking nose radome for quick identification of the type and its role.

In 2003, the British military purchased three (some sources say four) Defenders to help deal with the deteriorating situation in Iraq following the 2003 coalition invasion. The aircraft were designated Defender 4S AL Mk 1 and were equipped with underwing dispensers to protect against surface-to-air munitions.

The model is further defined by implementing electro-optical turrets under the very end of the nose.

The Defender 4000 is the current military version of the Defender series, the first flight of the system took place in August 1994. The Defender 4000 has a larger wing assembly similar to the Trislander and has a larger weight tolerance. Her engine is more powerful than previous versions, and she has an enlarged nose section to accommodate search radars.

Top speed is 225 miles per hour.