Ireland completes €300 million Airbus C295 program with third aircraft delivery

The Irish Air Corps received its third and last Airbus C295 aircraft at Casement Aerodrome on October 7, 2025.  

This delivery completes a €300 million program to upgrade Ireland’s transport and maritime patrol capacity, the largest single equipment procurement in the history of the Irish Defence Forces. 

New transport aircraft expands Irish Air Corps capability 

With two C295 ‘Persuader’ aircraft already operating in maritime surveillance (MSA) roles, the new C295 is configured for transport duty. Its entry into service expands the Air Corps’ ability to conduct troop lifting, logistics support, medical evacuations, non-combatant transfers, and other utility missions at home or overseas. 

Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, Irish Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, remarked that the added flexibility “offers the Defence Forces both at home and overseas through troop transport and logistics movement, and will support the State and citizens through services such as medical transfers or non-combat evacuations should the need arise.” 

This procurement closes a long-standing capability gap: two earlier CN235 maritime patrol aircraft, which have been in service since 1994, are being phased out as the C295s assume their roles. 

Dassault Falcon 6X to extend Ireland’s strategic reach 

Ireland is set to receive a Dassault Falcon 6X in December 2025, which will enhance its strategic airlift and government transport reach. The Falcon 6X will replace a Learjet 45, enabling faster medium-haul missions, VIP transport, and mission support across Europe and beyond. 

This modernized transport fleet positions the Irish Air Corps for a more proactive and versatile role in national and international deployments, humanitarian support, search & rescue, and, in the future, potentially contributing to air sovereignty missions as Ireland’s defense posture evolves. 

“The procurement of the C-295 aircraft and the Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft, of which we will take delivery later this year, represents a significant enhancement of the State’s transport, airlift and medical capabilities, and is further evidence of the Government’s ongoing commitment to enhance the capabilities of our Defence Forces,” Tánaiste [deputy Irish prime minister] and Minister for Defence Simon Harris commented.

A step toward greater air sovereignty and self-reliance 

The C295 program is part of a broader, evolving defense posture for Ireland. For decades, the Irish Air Corps has operated without any combat aircraft, a rarity among developed nations.  

Since 1999, Ireland has relied on its neighbor, the United Kingdom, to intercept aerial threats under an informal air policing arrangement. The absence of a national radar network and fighter capability has left the country dependent on external assets for sovereignty protection. 

However, in 2025, the government signaled a paradigm shift: it is now advancing plans to acquire a fleet of combat aircraft, the first such purchase in over 50 years. The program, estimated to be worth up to €2.5 billion, would include eight to 14 jets and the establishment of a domestic radar system aimed at enhancing Ireland’s sovereignty over its airspace. 

In that sense, the completion of the C295 acquisition is not only a boost to transport capability but also a preparatory step toward a more integrated and self-reliant national aerospace footprint.