The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force activated a new unit, the Air Wing, while officially incorporating its first and, so far, only aircraft: a Britten-Norman BN-2B Islander light transport aircraft, registration ABDF-1.
The BN-2B Islander aircraft made its pre-primary flight, on February 23, from the capital Saint John, island of Antigua, to neighboring Barbuda, as reported by Infodefensa.com. It is a twin-engine with nine seats and STOL (short takeoff and landing) capacity.
The Air Wing, which has been under the command of Major A. Micheal, will allow the Defense Force to provide air support throughout the country, made up of three islands, in response to disasters / emergencies, search and rescue (SAR), aeromedical evacuation (Medevac) and surveillance of maritime space, among others, according to the official note.