The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris TD, welcomed the arrival at Casement Aerodrome of the third Airbus C-295 aircraft delivered to the Air Corps over the last two years. The new aircraft arrival was attended by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence Ms. Jacqui McCrum, who represented the Tánaiste, the General Officer Commanding the Air Corps, Brigadier General Rory O’Connor and members of the joint Air Corps/Department of Defence team which delivered the project.
The initial contract for the supply of two Maritime Patrol aircraft was awarded to Airbus Defence and Space in December 2019 following an open tender competition. These new aircraft, which were manufactured in Seville, Spain, were delivered in late 2023 and replaced the two existing CASA CN235-100 Maritime Patrol Aircraft purchased for the Air Corps in 1994. The Maritime Patrol aircraft are primarily equipped for maritime surveillance, particularly fisheries protection. This third aircraft will be similar but will be used for Logistics support, Transportation of troops and equipment, medical evacuation and air ambulance, Special Operations Forces operations and as a general utility aircraft.
Commenting on the occasion of the delivery of the new aircraft, the Tánaiste said: “The State’s investment of approximately €300 million in three C-295 aircraft and associated costs represents the largest equipment acquisition project ever undertaken for the Defence Forces. 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 procurement of the C-295 aircraft and the Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft, of which we will take delivery later this year, represents a significant enhancement of the State’s transport, airlift and medical capabilities, and is further evidence of the Government’s ongoing commitment to enhance the capabilities of our Defence Forces. 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.”
Also commenting on the delivery of the C-295, the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy said, “The continued development of the Air Corps’ capabilities through the transport variant of the C-295 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.”
