伯利兹国防军空军联队
The Belize Defence Force Air Wing, formed in 1983 around two British-built Defenders, is a handful of light aircraft and helicopters at Belize’s international airport — it grew up beside the RAF Harriers that guarded Belize against Guatemala’s claim, lost four men in a helicopter crash in 2020, and still patrols a border that the International Court of Justice has yet to settle.
The Belize Defence Force Air Wing story: two Defenders beside the RAF Harriers, a helicopter lost in 2020 and a border claim at The Hague
1983: two Defenders in the shadow of the Harriers
Belize became independent in 1981 with a neighbour, Guatemala, that claimed much of its territory, and with British forces still on its soil to deter it. The Belize Defence Force had been formed in 1978; its Air Wing followed in 1983. According to Wikipedia, the first aircraft were two Britten-Norman Defenders bought from Britain, BDF-01 and BDF-02, which ‘formed the backbone of the air wing for years’ and were the first armed aircraft in Belizean history, with hardpoints under the wings. The roles Wikipedia lists have changed little since: reconnaissance, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, counter-insurgency, aerial resupply and troop transport, and support to the police against drug trafficking and smuggling. No exact founding day or first commander is given in the sources reached, and the BDF website could not be consulted.
The British umbrella: Harriers, Pumas and Airport Camp
For its first decade the Air Wing was the junior partner on its own airfield. RAF Belize was the headquarters of all Royal Air Force units in British Forces Belize from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. Harrier detachments were sent in 1975–76 and from 1977 to 1981, and No. 1417 Flight flew Harrier GR.3s from 1981 to 1993; No. 1563 Flight flew Puma HC.1 helicopters from 1981, and the Army Air Corps flew Sioux, Scouts, Lynx and Gazelles. Their home was Airport Camp beside what is now Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, which a US Air Force general called in 1984 ‘the best defended airfield in Central America’, according to Wikipedia. RAF Belize was folded into the British Army garrison in the mid-1990s.
Crop-dusters, confiscations and crashes
The fleet that the BDF has built since is small and opportunistic. Wikipedia lists two or three Ayres Thrush agricultural aircraft from 1988, used for counter-insurgency and crop-dusting before being stored, a Dornier Do 27 from 1987 to 1990, a King Air from 2004 to 2006 and a Slingsby Firefly trainer. Several aircraft came from the drug trade: a Piper Seneca confiscated in October 2015 became BDF-07, and a Bell 407 also came to the wing after being seized. Taiwan donated Bell UH-1H helicopters in 2015 and 2016. The Defenders paid the price of hard use: BDF-01 crashed near Orange Walk on 19 October 1998 and could not be repaired, and BDF-05 came down in a coastal marsh on 3 April 2007 without fatalities.
27 February 2020: the UH-1H lost at Gales Point
The worst day in the Air Wing’s history came in the early hours of 27 February 2020. A UH-1H helicopter was sent before dawn to help intercept a jet suspected of carrying two tons of cocaine and crashed in the Western Lagoon near Gales Point, Manatee. Major Adrian Ramirez, Major Bradford Baizer, Corporal Yassir Mendez and Corporal Reynaldo Choco were killed. Five years later Breaking Belize News reported that the helicopter had no night-vision equipment, that the pilots had no night-vision goggles, that there was no flight data recorder and no distress call, and that the BDF learned the aircraft was missing only when families raised the alarm. Wikipedia dates the crash to 28 February 2020 and identifies the helicopter as BDF-12; no final investigation report has been published in the sources reached.
2023–2026: a Caravan, a first woman pilot and a claim at The Hague
Since 2023 there have been modest gains. A Cessna Grand Caravan EX donated by the United States arrived on 22 February 2023 and was handed over on 1 March in the presence of Prime Minister John Briceño and Ambassador Michelle Kwan. On 3 September 2024 Second Lieutenant Julia Puerto became the BDF’s first woman pilot. Wikipedia’s fleet table now has seven aircraft, one of each type, though its infobox says six. The border question has moved to The Hague: Guatemala and Belize agreed in 2008 to submit Guatemala’s claim to the International Court of Justice, which was seised on 12 June 2019 and has not yet given judgment. In September 2026 Belize accused a Guatemalan PC-12 of a 71-minute incursion into its airspace; Guatemala told the UN it ‘never occurred’.
The Belize Defence Force Air Wing in numbers
服务
- 正式名称
- 伯利兹国防军空军联队English is Belize’s official language. The name matches the current English Wikipedia article title; the BDF website could not be reached to confirm its own usage
- 创立
- 1983With two Britten-Norman Defenders; no exact day published in the sources reached
- 一部分
- Belize Defence ForceFormed in 1978
- 人员
- About 60Wikipedia infobox; in 2021 the wing had seven pilots, according to its commander as quoted by Wikipedia
- 边界争端
- Guatemala’s claim, before the ICJSpecial agreement signed on 8 December 2008; the Court was seised on 12 June 2019; no judgment yet. Guatemala claims territory, islands and maritime areas held by Belize; Belize contests the claim. In September 2026 Belize reported a Guatemalan military aircraft in its airspace, which Guatemala denied
力量
- 飞机
-
- Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender — 1
- Cessna 208 Grand Caravan EX — 1
- 布里顿-诺曼 BN-2 Islander — 1
- Piper PA-34 Seneca — 1
- Cessna 182 Skylane — 1
Wikipedia’s table; its infobox gives six aircraft in all. Serviceability is not published
- 直升机
-
- Bell UH-1H — 1
- 贝尔407号——1
UH-1H BDF-11 donated by Taiwan; the Bell 407 was confiscated
- 战斗机
- 没有任何The Defender carries underwing hardpoints and is listed by Wikipedia as light attack/COIN, but the wing has no jets and no recorded combat use
基础设施
- 空军基地
- Philip S. W. Goldson International AirportLadyville; the BDF’s Price Barracks, formerly the British Airport Camp, lies just north of the airport
- Other airstrips
-
- Orange Walk
- Hector Silva Airstrip
- Punta Gorda
Listed by Wikipedia as used by the wing
- Foreign air units
- RAF Harriers and Pumas, 1975–1990sNo. 1417 Flight (Harrier GR.3) 1981–1993; No. 1563 Flight (Puma); Army Air Corps helicopters
How the Belize Defence Force Air Wing is organised
The air arm of the Belize Defence Force, about 60 strong according to Wikipedia, with no published squadrons and no jets, flying from Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport beside Price Barracks, the BDF headquarters. Wikipedia lists seven aircraft, one each of seven types — a Defender, a US-donated Grand Caravan EX, an Islander, a Seneca, a Cessna 182, a UH-1H and a Bell 407 — although its infobox says six. The wing also uses airstrips at Orange Walk, Punta Gorda and the Hector Silva Airstrip.
伯利兹国防军空军联队
The air arm of the Belize Defence Force, formed in 1983 around two Britten-Norman Defenders bought from Britain; about 60 strong according to Wikipedia, which quotes an unnamed commander in 2021 as saying the wing had seven pilots. Its roles include reconnaissance, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, aerial resupply, troop transport and support to the police against drug trafficking. The current commander is not named in the sources reached, and no squadrons are published.
Defender, Caravan and light aircraft
One each, according to Wikipedia’s table, of the Britten-Norman Defender, the Cessna Grand Caravan EX donated by the United States and handed over on 1 March 2023, a Britten-Norman Islander, a Piper Seneca confiscated in October 2015 and a Cessna 182 trainer; the Wikipedia infobox gives six aircraft in all, and serviceability is not published. Defenders crashed in 1998 and 2007. The wing has never had jets.
UH-1H and Bell 407
A Bell UH-1H, BDF-11, from those Taiwan donated in 2015–2016, and a Bell 407 confiscated as a suspected drug aircraft, according to Wikipedia. Another UH-1H crashed in the Western Lagoon near Gales Point before dawn on 27 February 2020 during a drug interception mission, killing Major Adrian Ramirez, Major Bradford Baizer, Corporal Yassir Mendez and Corporal Reynaldo Choco; Wikipedia dates the crash to 28 February.
What the Belize Defence Force Air Wing flies today
每种收费类型都链接到其在《野兽之书》中的页面（如果存在）。. 统计的是登记在册的飞机数量，而不是某一天可用的飞机数量。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 在服役 | 自从 | 单位 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britten-Norman BN-2B Defender在服役 | Patrol, light attack and transport | 1 | 1983 | One in service per Wikipedia; BDF serials up to at least BDF-05 were Defenders. | ||
| Cessna 208 Grand Caravan EX在服役 | 巡逻和公用事业 | 1 | 2023 | 一。. | ||
| 布里顿-诺曼 BN-2 岛民在服役 | 公用运输 | 1 | 一。. | |||
| Piper PA-34 塞内卡在服役 | 运输 | 1 | 2015 | One (BDF-07). | ||
| Cessna 182 Skylane在服役 | 教练 | 1 | One (BDF-03). | |||
| 贝尔UH-1H易洛魁在服役 | 通用直升机 | 1 | 2015 | One (BDF-11) per Wikipedia; a second was lost in February 2020. | ||
| 贝尔407在服役 | 轻型直升机 | 1 | 一。. |
Every type the Belize Defence Force Air Wing has retired
4 types, from the Dornier Do 27 to the Beechcraft King Air. 峰值数字是指飞机在整个服役期内接收的机身数量，而不是任何某一天的机队规模。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 顶峰 | 已上菜 | 被替换为 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 比奇空中国王 | 运输 | 2004–2006 | Dates per Wikipedia; variant not given. | |||
| 多尼尔 Do 27 | 联络 | 1987–1990 | 日期来源：维基百科。. | |||
| Ayres Thrush | Counter-insurgency and crop-spraying | 3 | 1988– | Two or three, per Wikipedia. | ||
| Slingsby T67M260 Firefly | 教练 | 1 | Cessna 182 Skylane | One (BDF-03). |
Where the Belize Defence Force Air Wing flies from
黑色标记表示正在使用的基地；所列的机场尚未关闭。. Belize’s international airport at Ladyville has been its military airfield since the 1970s: RAF Harriers were based at Airport Camp beside it until 1993, and Airport Camp is now Price Barracks, the BDF headquarters. The airstrips at Orange Walk, Punta Gorda and Hector Silva, which the wing also uses, have no entries of their own. Coordinates are from Wikipedia, as the Belize AIP was not reached, and no runways are listed until they can be checked.
| 根据 | 国际民航组织 | 地位 | 跑道 | 部队和飞机 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport and Price BarracksBelize District (Ladyville) | MZBZ | 积极的 |
|
没有找到符合搜索结果的空军基地。.
Who is stationed where in the Belize Defence Force Air Wing
按基地排列飞行部队，当前部队优先。. No squadrons are published, so the Air Wing is listed as one unit at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, beside the RAF’s No. 1417 Flight, which flew Harrier GR.3s there from 1981 to 1993, and No. 1563 Flight with its Pumas. The RAF flights are marked as not Belizean.
- 伯利兹国防军空军联队Air wing (patrol, transport, search and rescue) · active
- Britten-Norman Defender, Cessna 208 Grand Caravan EX, 贝尔UH-1H, Bell 407
- No. 1417 Flight RAF1981–1993
- Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3
- No. 1563 Flight RAF1981年
- Westland Puma HC.1
没有符合搜索条件的单位。.
Belize Defence Force Air Wing milestones, 1914 to today
First RAF Harrier detachment to Belize (1975–76), followed by another from 1977 to 1981.
The Belize Defence Force is formed.
Belize becomes independent; No. 1417 Flight (Harrier GR.3) and No. 1563 Flight (Puma HC.1) form at Belize.
The BDF Air Wing is formed with two Britten-Norman Defenders, BDF-01 and BDF-02.
A US Air Force general calls the airport ‘the best defended airfield in Central America’.
A Dornier Do 27 enters service (to 1990).
Ayres Thrush aircraft enter service.
No. 1417 Flight’s Harriers leave Belize.
19 October: Defender BDF-01 crashes near Orange Walk and is written off.
3 April: Defender BDF-05 crashes in a coastal marsh; no fatalities.
8 December: Guatemala and Belize sign the special agreement to take Guatemala’s claim to the ICJ.
October: a Piper Seneca is confiscated and becomes BDF-07; Taiwan donates UH-1H helicopters (2015–16).
12 June: the International Court of Justice is seised of Guatemala’s claim.
27 February: a UH-1H crashes near Gales Point during a drug interception; four killed.
22 February: a US-donated Cessna Grand Caravan EX arrives; handed over on 1 March.
3 September: Second Lieutenant Julia Puerto becomes the BDF’s first woman pilot.
24 September: Belize reports a Guatemalan Air Force PC-12 in its airspace for 71 minutes; Guatemala denies it.
Everything people ask about the Belize Defence Force Air Wing
Does Belize have an air force?
What aircraft does the Belize Defence Force fly?
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Who was the BDF’s first female pilot?
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What is the status of the Guatemala–Belize case at the ICJ?
Read the aircraft the Belize Defence Force Air Wing flew
每种类型都在《野兽之书》中占有一席之地，先按服役年份，再按离开舰队的年份。.
所有事实均已核实
- Breaking Belize News: U.S. donates Cessna to Belize Defence Force (26 February 2023)Cessna Grand Caravan EX arrived 22 February 2023 at Philip Goldson International Airport; handover 1 March; PM Briceño and Ambassador Kwan.
- Breaking Belize News: Five years later – remembering the fallen BDF soldiers (28 February 2025)UH-1H crash 27 February 2020, Western Lagoon near Gales Point; four named dead; no NVGs or flight data recorder.
- Breaking Belize News: Historic moment: Belize Defence Force welcomes first female pilot (3 September 2024)2Lt Julia Puerto; training 9 January 2023 to 3 September 2024 at the Caribbean Military Academy School of Aviation on DA40 and Bell 505.
- Breaking Belize News: Guatemalan military plane that violated Belize’s sovereign airspace was donated to Guatemala by United States Government (28 September 2026)PC-12/47E FAG706, 24 September 2026, about 71 minutes per Belize’s Ministry of National Defence (CEO Francis Usher); Guatemala’s denial at the UN General Assembly on 26 September; SICOFAA headline in sidebar.
- International Court of Justice: Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize)Special agreement 8 December 2008; protocol 25 May 2015; Court seised 12 June 2019; orders on time-limits 2019, 2020, 2022; no judgment listed.
数据已于 2026 年 10 月 1 日核实。战斗序列页面由单个数据集重新生成；如果此处的数字与《野兽之书》页面不一致，则此页面为两者中较新的页面。.
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