The Irish Air Corps has welcomed the first of two brand new "state-of-the-art" Airbus planes to their base in Baldonnel, Dublin.
Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin visited Casement Aerodrome this afternoon as the first of two Airbus C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft arrived in the country. The two new Airbus planes are replacing the CASA CN235-100 Maritime Patrol Aircraft which were purchased in 1994 by the Air Corps.
The massive new Airbus C295 plane is over 41ft long, and it was made in Seville, Spain with capacity for 71 seats onboard. The C295's main purpose is maritime surveillance for fisheries protection, but the planes can also be used for medical evacuation and air ambulances, search and rescue and a general utility role.
The C295 can operate day and night in all weather extremes, supports anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and search and rescue missions, and can last over 10 hours on task.
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The contract for the supply of two Maritime Patrol aircraft was awarded to Airbus Defence and Space in December 2019 following an open tender competition – with a total cost of €230 million, VAT inclusive. It is the largest equipment acquisition project undertaken for the Defence Forces.
Taking to social media, the Irish Air Corps said that the new plane's arrival was an "exciting day". They tweeted: "Exciting day and delighted to work with @AirbusDefence! Well done to all the teams and @IRLDeptDefence involved in the process!"
Tanaiste Michael Martin said that the arrival of the new Airbus C295 at Baldonnel today is an "important moment for the Air Corps". He said: "The replacement of the two CASA CN235’s with two larger, more capable aircraft will enhance maritime surveillance and provide a greater degree of utility for transport and cargo carrying tasks.
“At €230 million for both aircraft and the associated training, spare parts and ground equipment, this is the largest equipment acquisition project undertaken for the Defence Forces.
"This significant investment is an indication of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that our Defence Forces retain a range of flexible conventional military capabilities to fulfil their roles and duties," added Mr Martin.
Social media users were impressed with the "huge" plane. One person commented: "Wow, it looks absolutely huge. Fair play for getting this."
A second added: "It flew over my house today, sounds good." A third said: "Beauty. Safe travels and long service."
The second Maritime Patrol Aircraft will be delivered later this year.
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