THE STATE HAS announced a deal has been struck to purchase a new Government jet to be used for multi-role transport missions across the globe.
The Department of Defence has signed an agreement for the French-made Falcon 6X. It will be delivered in December 2025 and will be available in time for Ireland’s EU Presidency in the second half of 2026.
The jet, dubbed a multi-purpose Strategic Reach Aircraft, will replace the ailing Lear Jet which has suffered significant technical difficulties and is also limited in range.
The new aircraft will also halt the need for rented private jets which the Government is using at present.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, said the jet will be used for the State’s transport needs and medical missions. He also said that with a range of 5000 nautical miles that it can reach the west coast of the United States without having to stop to refuel.
“It will be used for a wide range of tasks, including the non-combatant evacuation of Irish citizens from critical situations, air-ambulance patient transfers, medical evacuation or repatriation of Irish Defence Forces personnel deployed on overseas missions and logistics support for the transport of supplies to Irish Defence Forces overseas missions.
“In addition, it will provide the independent and flexible air transport service which is an increasingly essential requirement to assist the government in meeting our national and international obligations,” he said.
Manufactured by Dassault Aviation SA, a French aerospace company of long standing in the aviation and defence industries, the Falcon 6X will have a total seating capacity of 17 persons and a passenger capacity of 14.
It will be operated by the Irish Air Corps from Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
The airframe is currently being built in the company’s production facility in Bordeaux, France.
Dassault also builds Rafale fighter jets which are used by the French Air Force and Navy.
In the statement from the Department of Defence the Falcon 6X is a futureproofed, new generation jet aircraft providing improvements in fuel efficiency and carbon emissions and offering outstanding performance especially out of challenging airfields and in adverse conditions.
A key consideration was that the need to for it to be able to perform long haul flights.
The cost of the Falcon 6X aircraft is just below €53 million excluding VAT.
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