IRELAND has agreed a deal to purchase a new government jet which will cost the nation over €53m.
The Department of Defence has signed an agreement for the French-made Falcon 6X, which they describe as a “multi-purpose strategic reach aircraft capable of use in overseas missions across the globe”.
Delivery of the jet is expected in December 2025, meaning it will be available in time for Ireland’s EU Presidency in the second half of 2026.
The new Falcon 6X is due to arrive in December 2025 (PIC: DOD)“This new next generation aircraft will be a game-changer for the State’s transport, airlift and medical capabilities, with a range of over 5000 nautical miles meaning it can reach the west coast of the United States without the need to refuel,” Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said as the contract was awarded yesterday.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”
Manufactured by the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation SA, the jet will be able to carry up to 17 people with 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 Dassault’s production facility in Bordeaux.
The cost of the aircraft is just below €53m excluding VAT, the Department of Defence has confirmed.