List of aircraft of the Irish Air Corps

Air Corps AgustaWestland AW139

This list identifies the military aircraft which are currently being operated, on order, or have formerly been operated by the Irish Air Corps.

Current Irish military aircraft

Military aircraft currently in active service, or on order, with the Irish Air Corps are as follows:

Aircraft	Origin	Role	Variant	In service	Notes
Maritime surveillance
Airbus C295	Spain	Maritime surveillance [1]	MSA	2 [2] [3]	Received 2023 [4]
Reconnaissance
Pilatus PC-12	Switzerland	Surveillance	PC-12NG	3 [2] [3] [5]	Three 'SPECTRE' surveillance variants; received 2020 [6]
Transport
Airbus C295	Spain	Transport	MTA	1 [4]	Received 2025 [4]
Learjet 45	United States	Executive transport		1 [3] [7]	To be replaced by a Dassault Falcon 6X which is on order for planned delivery in 2025 [8] [9]
Pilatus PC-12	Switzerland	Utility	PC-12NG	1 [2] [3] [5]	One utility variant; received 2020 [10]
Helicopter
Eurocopter EC135	Germany	Utility / trainer	EC135 P2	2 [3] [11] [2]	To be replaced by Airbus H145, four of which were ordered in 2024 for delivery from 2027 [12]
AgustaWestland AW139	Italy	Utility		6 [3] [13] [2]	First two received in 2006 [13]
Trainer
Pilatus PC-9	Switzerland	Trainer / CAS	PC-9M	8 [3] [14] [2]	Entered service in 2004. [14] One hull lost in 2009 was replaced in 2017 [15]
Police air support
Britten-Norman Defender	United Kingdom	Police air support	4000	1 [3] [16]	Flown for the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU). [17] Due to be replaced in 2025 by a DHC-6 Twin Otter. [18] [19]
Eurocopter EC135	Germany	Police air support	EC135 T2	2 [3] [20]	Flown for the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU). [17] To be replaced by Airbus H145, four of which were ordered in 2024 for delivery from 2027 [12]

Several Pilatus PC-9M aircraft at Baldonnel

Retired Irish military aircraft

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). ^[21]

Military aircraft which have been withdrawn from service with the Irish Air Corps include the following:

Fighter and attack aircraft

Air Corps Spitfire T.9 trainer wearing the early post war green colour scheme

Gloster Gladiator Mk I of the 1st Squadron of the Irish Air Corps

• Bristol F.2B Fighter – 8× 1922–1935 ^{[22] [23] [24]}
• Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard – 4× 1922–1929 ^[25]
• RAE S.E.5a – 1× 1922 (destroyed by the IRA during Civil War)
• Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk II – 8× 1925–1935 ^[24]
• Gloster Gladiator I – 4× 1938–1944 (1× crashed 1938, 1× crashed 1944, 2× retired 1943, 12 more ordered but not delivered during The Emergency) ^{[24] [26]}
• Hawker Hurricane I – 12× 1940–1946 (1× RAF crash-landed in Ireland 1940 and repaired by Air Corps, 11× delivered 1943) ^[24]
• Hawker Hurricane IIa – 1× 1941–1943 (RAF force-landed in Ireland)
• Hawker Hurricane IIb – 1× 1941–1943 (RAF crash-landed in Ireland)
• Hawker Hurricane IIc – 6× 1945–1947 ^[24]
• Supermarine V.S. 506 Seafire LF.III – 12× 1947–1955 ^[27]

Bombers

• De Havilland DH.9 – 6× ^[25]
• Fairey Battle TT.I – 1x Irish Air Corps interned 1 ex-RAF target tug in 1942. It was in use as a target tug from 1944 to 1946. ^[24]
• Hawker Hind and Hind Trainer ^[24]
• Lockheed Hudson I (also used for maritime patrol duties) ^[28]

Reconnaissance and patrol aircraft

• CASA CN-235M-100 – 2x 1994-2023 (as of May 2024, these were out-of-service and "due for disposal") ^[3]
• Cessna FR172H – 8× FR172H, 1× FR172K 1972-2019
• Fairey IIIF Mk II
• Supermarine V.S. 236 Walrus I – 3× from 1939 ^{[29] [24]}

Transport and liaison aircraft

An Avro 652A Anson which operated from 1946 to 1962

• Avro 652A Anson I and C19 ^[24]
• Avro 626 Prefect (also served as a navigation trainer)
• Hawker Siddeley HS.125-600B and -700B
• Beechcraft Super King Air 200T - 3x ^[30]
• De Havilland DH.84 Dragon 2
• De Havilland DH.104 Dove Mk 4, Mk 5, Mk 7, and Mk 8A ^[30]
• Grumman G1159A Gulfstream III – 1x (leased)
• Gulfstream IV – 1x (?-2014) ^[31]
• Hawker Hector
• Martinsyde Type A Mk II
• Vickers Type 193 Vespa IV and Type 208 Vespa V
• Westland Lysander II – x6 ^{[24] [32]}

Trainer aircraft

Percival Provost Mk 51 in Air Corps colours

• Avro 504K – 6× 1922–1932 ^[33]
• Avro 621 Tutor ^[34]
• Avro 631 Cadet (also used for coastal patrol duties)
• Avro 636 - 4x (1935-1941). Irish Air Corps were the only users of this plane type, with 4 aircraft total ever made and all put to service by Irish Air Corps^{[ citation needed ]}
• De Havilland DH.60 Cirrus I Moth
• De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.20 and T.22A ^[30]
• De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.55 ^[30] – 6× 1956–1976
• Fouga CM-170-2 Super Magister – 6× 1975–1999 ^[30]
• Hunting Percival Provost T.51 and T.53 ^{[ citation needed ]}
• Miles M.14A Magister – 27x (1939-1952). ^{[35] [24]}
• Miles M.25 Martinet TT.I ^{[ citation needed ]}
• Miles M.9A Master I and M.19 Master II – 12x former RAF Master IIs were purchased (six in 1943 and six in 1945). ^{[36] [24]}
• SIAI-Marchetti SF-260D and SF-260WE Warrior – 10x (1977-2003)
• Supermarine V.S. 509 Spitfire T.9 – 6× 1951–1961

Helicopters

Air Corps Alouette III. Retired in 2007

• Aérospatiale Alouette III – 8x 1963-2007. Replaced by AW139s ^{[37] [38]}
• Aérospatiale SA330J Puma – 1x leased from Aérospatiale for 2 years during the early 1980s ^{[39] [40]}
• Aérospatiale SA342L Gazelle – 2x 1980-2005. ^[41]
• Aérospatiale SA365Fi Dauphin II – 5x 1986-2006
• Sikorsky S-61N – 1x Previously leased and operated by IAC for Search & Rescue/Coast Guard. ^[42] Subsequently in 2004, returned to CHC Ireland who operated it in a similar capacity for the IRCG.
• Eurocopter Twin Squirrel AS355N – 1x 1997-2008 Operated by IAC for Garda Air Support Unit until replaced by second EC135T in January 2008. ^[43]

References

Notes

1. "The @IrishAirCorps 🇮🇪 received their third #C295 aircraft today". Airbus Defence. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
2. Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal . Retrieved 12 December 2023.
3. "Defence Forces - Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 May 2024". oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
4. "Irish Air Corps Take Delivery of Third Airbus C-295". flyinginireland.com. 7 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
5. "Pilatus PC-12". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
6. "Irish Air Corps New PC-12's Arrive in Baldonnel". flyinginireland.com. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
7. "Learjet 45". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
8. "Tánaiste confirms contract award of new Strategic Reach Aircraft". gov.ie. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
9. "Government announces deal signed for new €53m French built Government Jet". thejournal.ie. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
10. "Air Corps to Take Delivery of Pilatus PC-12 Today". flyinginireland.com. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
11. "EC135 P2". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
12. O'Brien, Fergal (30 December 2024). "Deal reached for new helicopters at a cost of over €90m". RTÉ . Retrieved 30 December 2024.
13. "AW139". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
14. "Pilatus PC-9M". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
15. "Air Corps receive new Pilatus PC-9M". flyinginireland.com. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
16. "PBN Defender". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
17. "The Garda Air Support Unit". garda.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
18. "Garda purchases sophicated surveillance aircraft from Canadian manufacturer". irishtimes.ie. 2024-08-03. Archived from the original on 2024-08-15. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
19. "De Havilland Canada's Twin Otter Guardian Aircraft Chosen for Enhanced Operational Capabilities". dehavilland.com. 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
20. "EC135 T2". military.ie. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
21. Tony Canavan (January 2007). "Museum Eye – Soldiers and chiefs, the Irish at war – National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks, Dublin". Reviews. 15 (1). History Ireland.
22. Byrne 1980, p. 52.
23. O'Malley 2010, p. 57.
24. MacCarron 2012, p. 20.
25. MacCarron 2012, p. 18.
26. "Irish Army Air Corps use of the Gloster Gladiator during the Second World War". Håkan Gustavsson. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
27. Byrne 1980, p. 62.
28. McIvor 1994, p. 83.
29. O'Malley 2010, p. 148.
30. "Air Corps Museum Collection (1918-2004)". Irish Military Archives. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
31. "Government jet sold to US company". RTE. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
32. O'Malley 2010, p. 205.
33. McIvor 1994, p. 42.
34. "Military Archives – Image Database – IE/MA/ACPS/GPN/001 – Glass plate negatives of a ground image of an Avro 621". MilitaryArchives.ie. Defence Forces. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
35. MacCarron, Donal (1996), Wings Over Ireland, Leicester: Midland Publishing, p. 138, ISBN   1-85780-057-5
36. Amos, Peter (2012). Miles Aircraft – The Wartime Years. Tonbridge, Kent, England: Air-Britain Historians Ltd. p. A228. ISBN   978-0-85130-430-4.
37. "Alouettes set for final missions". Irish Times. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
38. "New Wings for the Irish Air Corps". Air-Scene UK. May 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
39. "Up, up and away . . . why our Air Corps are getting plenty of lift". Independent News & Media. 4 July 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
40. "N86-1981- Air Corp Helicopters - Air Corps Takes Delivery Of Puma Helicoptor - July 1981". Irish Photo Archive. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
41. "Gazelle Retired" (PDF). An Cosantóir – Defence Forces Magazine. Irish Defence Forces. March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2022. On December 31st 2005 the last flight of Air Corps Gazelle 241 over Casement Aerodrome marked the end of 25 years of service
42. "Air Corps withdrawn from rescue work". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 11 October 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2020. [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
43. "Second Garda helicopter takes to air". Irish Times. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2017.

Sources

• Byrne, Liam (1980). History of Aviation in Ireland. Blackwater Press. ISBN   9780905471105.
• Morgan, Eric B. & Burnet, Charles (December 1981 – March 1982). "Walrus... Amphibious Angel of Mercy". Air Enthusiast (17): 13–25. ISSN   0143-5450.
• O'Malley, Michael C (2010). Military Aviation in Ireland, 1921-45. University College Dublin Press. ISBN   9781906359485.
• MacCarron, Donal (2012). The Irish Defence Forces since 1922. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9781780963914.
• McIvor, Aidan (1994). A History of the Irish Naval Service. Irish Academic Press. ISBN   9780716525233.