This list identifies the military aircraft which are currently being operated, on order, or have formerly been operated by the Irish Air Corps.
This list identifies the military aircraft which are currently being operated, on order, or have formerly been operated by the Irish Air Corps.
Military aircraft currently in active service, or on order, with the Irish Air Corps are as follows:
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maritime Patrol | ||||||
| Airbus C295 | Spain | Maritime patrol | MSA | 2 [1] [2] | An additional C295W is on order for transport use. [3] [1] | |
| Reconnaissance | ||||||
| Pilatus PC-12 | Switzerland | Surveillance | PC-12NG | 3 [1] [2] [4] | Three 'SPECTRE' surveillance variants [5] | |
| Transport | ||||||
| Learjet 45 | United States | Executive transport | 1 [2] [6] | To be replaced by a Dassault Falcon 6X which is on order for planned delivery in 2025. [7] [8] | ||
| Pilatus PC-12 | Switzerland | Surveillance | PC-12NG | 1 [1] [2] [4] | One utility variant [9] | |
| Helicopter | ||||||
| Eurocopter EC135 | Germany | Utility / trainer | EC135 P2 | 2 [2] [10] [1] | ||
| AgustaWestland AW139 | Italy | Utility | 6 [2] [11] [1] | |||
| Airbus H145 | Germany | Utility / trainer | EC145M | Four on order for delivery from 2027 to replace the EC135. [12] | ||
| Trainer | ||||||
| Pilatus PC-9 | Switzerland | Trainer / CAS | PC-9M | 8 [2] [13] [1] | One hull lost in 2009 was replaced in 2017 [14] | |
| Police air support | ||||||
| Britten-Norman Defender | United Kingdom | Police air support | 4000 | 1 [2] [15] | Flown for the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU) [16] Due to be replaced by a DHC-6 Twin Otter. [17] [18] | |
| Eurocopter EC135 | Germany | Police air support | EC135 T2 | 2 [2] [19] | Flown for the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU) [16] | |
A few examples of former Air Corps aircraft are retained in the Air Corps Museum in Baldonnel. These include an Avro Anson, An Alouette III and a Fouga Magister. A De Havilland Vampire and a Miles Magister are on display in the National Museum in Collins Barracks (Dublin). [20]
Military aircraft which have been withdrawn from service with the Irish Air Corps include the following:
British military aircraft designations are used to refer to aircraft types and variants operated by the armed forces of the United Kingdom.
Hawker Siddeley was a group of British manufacturing companies engaged in aircraft production. Hawker Siddeley combined the legacies of several British aircraft manufacturers, emerging through a series of mergers and acquisitions as one of only two such major British companies in the 1960s. In 1977, Hawker Siddeley became a founding component of the nationalised British Aerospace (BAe). Hawker Siddeley also operated in other industrial markets, such as locomotive building and diesel engine manufacture. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company was originally an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats. The company's headquarters are in Higher Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, with other sites in France, Italy and the United States.
The Air Corps is the air force of Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out a variety of duties in conjunction with the Irish Army, Irish Naval Service and Garda Síochána. The headquarters of the Air Corps is located at the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin. The Air Corps has an active establishment of 886 personnel. Like other components of the Defence Forces, it has struggled to maintain strength and as of December 2023 has only 689 active personnel. Unlike the Army or the Naval Service, the Air Corps does not maintain a reserve component.
de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd (DHA) was an Australian subsidiary of the British aircraft manufacturer de Havilland, founded in 1927. It acquired the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1985 and was purchased by Boeing in 2000 and merged with the Boeing owned AeroSpace Technologies of Australia to become Hawker de Havilland Aerospace Pty Ltd. In 2009, the name was changed to Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA) and is a subsidiary of Boeing Australia Ltd.
The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft designed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland.
Zeltweg Air Base, now known as Fliegerhorst Hinterstoisser, is a military airfield in Styria, Austria near Zeltweg. It is the main airfield of the Austrian Air Force. It was also used as a motor racing circuit in the 1960s.
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is an aviation museum located at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada. The museum has 47 military jets and propeller-driven aircraft on display.
723 Squadron is a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron. The squadron was first raised in 1952 and throughout its history has served operationally during the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and in East Timor. It currently operates as a helicopter training squadron and is based at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, New South Wales.
The Hangar Flight Museum, formerly known as the Aero Space Museum of Calgary, is a museum located south of Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Israeli Air Force Museum is located at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert in Israel.
The South African Air Force Museum houses exhibits and restores material related to the history of the South African Air Force. The museum is divided into three locations, AFB Swartkop outside Pretoria, AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town and at the Port Elizabeth airport.
Royal Air Force Manorbier, or more simply RAF Manorbier, was a Royal Air Force airfield near Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The site was first used in 1933 as a mixed civilian/military airfield and was the base for 'Y' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF in 1937, using de Havilland DH.82 Queen Bee unmanned radio-controlled target drone. The airfield was passed on to the War Office in September 1946.
The Flieger Flab Museum is located in the Canton of Zurich in Dübendorf on the grounds of Dübendorf Air Base. In the museum, 40 airplanes and helicopters are displayed, with the collection divided into distinct eras: pioneers and World War I, the 1930s, World War II and the postwar period, the beginning of the jet age, the development of jet fighters, the Cold War, and arms reduction.
780 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which last disbanded at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose in November 1949. 780 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Raven, RNAS Eastleigh as a Conversion Course Unit, in October 1939, to train experienced civilian pilots in naval flying. It moved to HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in October 1940, and later, its role had changed to converting pilots to Fairey Barracuda aircraft. It spent a year at RNAS Charlton Horethorne, before returning to HMS Daedalus and disbanded, early 1945. In March 1946, the squadron reformed at HMS Godwit, RNAS Hinstock, as the Naval Advanced Flying School, to give flying instructors' courses, and later provided Instrument Flying Training. In December, the squadron moved to HMS Jackdaw, RNAS Crail, then in March 1947 moved to HMS Merlin, RNAS Donibristle, and in May to HMS Seahawk as the first resident unit.
781 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which disbanded at the end of March 1981. Planned as a Reserve Amphibious Bomber Reconnaissance squadron, it formed as a Communications Unit in March 1940 and operated a large variety of aircraft. It provided a Bristol Beaufighter conversion course which eventually became 798 Naval Air Squadron and also had a ‘B’ Flight at Heathrow and then Heston aerodromes before becoming 701 Naval Air Squadron. After the Allied invasion of Normandy the squadron flew to various Royal Navy units on the continent and established an ‘X’ Flight based in France and then Germany. In July 1945 the squadron disbanded into 782 Naval Air Squadron although the ‘X’ Flight was moved to 799 Naval Air Squadron.
The Easter Rising centenary parade took place in Dublin city on Easter Sunday, 27 March 2016 to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising. It involved all branches of the Defence Forces, including the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Reserve Defence Forces, as well as the Garda Síochána, Dublin Fire Brigade, the HSE National Ambulance Service, the Irish Coast Guard, the Irish Prison Service and Customs, the Red Cross, the RNLI, Civil Defence Ireland and St John Ambulance Ireland. The parade was one of the largest of its kind ever held in the state, involving over 3,700 military personnel, 78 vehicles and 17 aircraft. The events were broadcast on RTÉ television and it is estimated that around 1 million people viewed the parade across the streets of Dublin. The parade commenced at 10.30am from St. Stephen's Green and made its way along Dublin before stopping at O'Connell Bridge for the main Easter Sunday Commemoration at the GPO. Following the ceremony, the troops marched past the GPO in O'Connell Street before finishing at Bolton Street around 3pm.
On December 31st 2005 the last flight of Air Corps Gazelle 241 over Casement Aerodrome marked the end of 25 years of service
[T]he Government is formally withdrawing the Air Corps from all helicopter search-and-rescue today [..] and will be relieved by the contract company CHC Helicopters in a week's time [..] The Sikorsky S-61 helicopter leased for the Air Corps in Sligo was returned several weeks ago
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