New aircraft to play important role at Casement Aerodrome

A new aircraft was welcomed to Casement Aerodrome by Tánaiste and Minister of Defence Simon Harris TD and Irish Air Corps Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy.

The new Airbus C-295 is the third of its kind delivered to the Irish Air Corps in the last two years.

The three aircrafts acquired for the Air Corps have cost the Government a total of approximately €300 million to acquire.

Tánaiste Harris stated that the figure represents “the largest equipment acquisition project ever undertaken for the Defence Forces.”

The Tánaiste continued: “This significant investment is an indication of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all branches of the Defence Forces continue to retain a range of flexible conventional military capabilities to meet the roles assigned.

The Airbus C-295 is a tactical transport aircraft of medium size that can be utilised for troop transport, medical transfers and other forms of airlift.

70 people can be carried on one of these crafts or eight tonnes of payload, according to the Airbus website.

Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen Rossa Mulcahy welcomed the new aircraft and noted its flexibility.

The Chief of Staff said: “The continued development of the Air Corps’ capabilities through the transport variant of the C295 will offer a flexibility to not only the Defence Forces both at home and overseas, through troop transport and logistics movement, but also the Irish state and citizens by providing services such as medical transfers or non-combat evacuations should the need arise.”

Another aircraft has been procured by the Government and is set to be delivered before the end of the year.

The Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft will add just below €53 million excluding VAT to the investment sum noted above.

Described as a long-range business jet, the Falcon 6X can hold 14 people and is able to travel at a maximum range of over 5,000 nautical miles, reaching destinations like the West Coast, USA.

The Minister for Defence proclaimed: “These aircraft are destined to play a very important role here in Casement Aerodrome over the next quarter of a century, supporting the men and women of the Air Corps and the wider Defence Forces in performing the roles assigned to them by government.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.