Irish Air Corps

Orden de batalla · Ireland

Irish Air Corps

An tAerchór · Air Corps

The Irish Air Corps (An tAerchór) has flown from Baldonnel since 1922, when the new state’s National Army took over a Royal Flying Corps field with a handful of ex-British aircraft; it watched over a neutral Ireland in the Second World War, gave up its last jets when the Fouga Magisters went in 1999, and today, with about 700 people, C295s, PC-12s and AW139s but no fighters and no primary radar, is being turned into an air force with its first long-range radars due from 2027.

Marcado nacionalA disc of green, white and orange in three swirling segments, the colours of the national flag
0Aviones de combate
2bases aéreas activas
1922Fundado
36Tipos retirados
Foto: Simon Butler de Halesowen, Reino Unido / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
PaísIrelandFundado1922EstadoActivoSedeCasement Aerodrome, BaldonnelComandanteRory O’Connor
La historia

The Irish Air Corps story: a British field, a neutral war and a turboprop air corps becoming an air force

1917–1923: a British field, a bought aeroplane and a civil war

Baldonnel, south-west of Dublin, was laid out in 1917 for the Royal Flying Corps. Irish military flying began before there was a state to fly for: in 1921, during the Treaty talks in London, a Martinsyde Type A Mark II was bought and kept at Croydon so that Michael Collins could be flown home if the negotiations failed. In 1922 the National Army took over Baldonnel, and the Military Archives record an Air Service headquarters there in June 1922 with 14 pilots and 13 aircraft; Wikipedia counts about ten aircraft by the end of the year, mostly Bristol F.2B fighters, Martinsydes and Avro 504 trainers. In the Civil War of 1922–23 the air arm flew for the Free State side, but its part was small, because the anti-Treaty IRA had no aircraft and the airmen had few aircraft of their own. One S.E.5a force-landed at Mallow and was destroyed by anti-Treaty forces.

1924–1945: the Army Air Corps and the Emergency

Renamed the Irish Army Air Corps in 1924, the service stayed tiny through the 1920s and 1930s, flying a few Vickers Vespas, Avro trainers and, from 1938, four Gloster Gladiators. It gained fame by association: on 12 April 1928 the Junkers W33 Bremen left Baldonnel for the first east-to-west Atlantic crossing with Commandant James Fitzmaurice aboard, and on 27 May 1936 Aer Lingus began flying from the same field. On 30 August 1939 the Air Corps sent five aircraft and 92 personnel to Rineanna, the future Shannon Airport. During the Emergency, as neutral Ireland called the Second World War, it received about 20 Hurricanes, some bought and some interned after force-landing; the Military Archives count 163 belligerent aircraft down in Ireland. Wikipedia records no combat with a belligerent aircraft, only dozens of stray barrage balloons shot down. Belligerent airmen were interned at the Curragh; Allied internees were released by October 1944, Germans held to the end.

1947–1999: Seafires, Vampires and the Silver Swallows

After 1945 the Corps rebuilt with British types: twelve denavalised Seafires from 1947, six two-seat Spitfire trainers from 1951, and Provosts and Chipmunks for training. The jet age arrived on 30 July 1956 with three de Havilland Vampire T.55s; the Vampire fleet grew to six or seven. In 1975 French Fouga CM.170 Super Magisters replaced them. The Fougas trained pilots, flew with the Light Strike Squadron armed with guns and rockets, escorted VIP flights and, from 1982, flew aerobatics; in 1987 the team was named the Silver Swallows, and in 1997 it won a trophy at the Royal International Air Tattoo. SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W Warriors arrived as armed basic trainers in 1977. Wikipedia records that the Magisters were all withdrawn by 1999, and with them Ireland lost its only jet combat aircraft. Governments chose not to replace them. What the service gained in cost was lost in capability, and the gap still defines it.

1963–2004: helicopters, rescue and the price of Rescue 111

Helicopters came in 1963 with eight Alouette IIIs, which flew for 44 years until 21 September 2007, and from 1986 five Dauphins, two of them equipped for ships. Search and rescue became the Air Corps’ most visible job, and its hardest. At about 00:40 on 2 July 1999 Dauphin 248, callsign Rescue 111, crashed into sand dunes at Tramore, Co. Waterford, after two missed instrument approaches to Waterford Airport. The crew had been tasked to help find a small boat off Dungarvan. Captains Dave O’Flaherty and Mick Baker, Sergeant Paddy Mooney and Corporal Niall Byrne were killed. According to Flying in Ireland, the official report found weak air traffic, fire-cover and accommodation arrangements at the new detachment, and the crew had been on duty for 16 hours 40 minutes. Wikipedia records that the Irish Coast Guard took over the Air Corps’ search and rescue role in stages up to 2002, after the crash had exposed the limits of the old helicopters.

2004–2024: a turboprop air corps

The 21st-century service was rebuilt around turboprops and medium helicopters. Eight Pilatus PC-9Ms replaced the Fougas and SF.260s from 2004 as trainers and armed close-support aircraft; a Learjet 45 took over ministerial flights the same year; six AW139s arrived from November 2006 and two EC135 P2s from November 2005. One PC-9M, 265, flew into high ground near Lough Mask on 12 October 2009, killing Captain Derek Furniss and Cadet David Jevens; the Air Accident Investigation Unit found controlled flight into terrain after spatial disorientation. Since 2012 an AW139 has flown the Emergency Aeromedical Service from Custume Barracks, Athlone, more than 3,500 missions by 2022, and the Air Corps also crews the Garda helicopters. Four PC-12NGs arrived in 2020, three of them for surveillance. The weakness was people: Wikipedia, citing Dáil figures, puts strength at 689 against an establishment of 866 in December 2023.

2025–2026: C295s, a Falcon, radars and the word “Air Force”

The Commission on the Defence Forces reported in February 2022 on a gap that Wikipedia sums up plainly: the Air Corps cannot detect aircraft flying with their transponders off, nor intercept them, and The Irish Times reported in May 2023 that a 1952 understanding lets the Royal Air Force intercept threats in Irish airspace; Senator Gerard Craughwell challenged it in the High Court. The fleet has since changed fast: two C295 maritime patrol aircraft in 2023, a third C295 for transport in October 2025, a Dassault Falcon 6X on 16 December 2025 in place of the Learjet, retired in April 2026, and a Viking 400 Twin Otter for the Garda. Four Airbus H145Ms are on order for 2027–28. On 30 July 2026 the government approved Ireland’s first long-range military radars, and on 18 September 2026 it ordered five from Thales through France’s procurement agency, for full capability by the end of 2028. The implementation plan also turns the Corps into an Air Force with its own service chief. Jet combat aircraft, Wikipedia notes, are still only under consideration.

Renamed the Irish Army Air Corps in 1924, the service stayed tiny through the 1920s and 1930s, flying a few Vickers Vespas, Avro trainers and, from 1938, four Gloster Gladiators.Irish Air Corps · verified 2026-09-30
De un vistazo

The Irish Air Corps in numbers

Servicio

Nombre nativo
An tAerchórThe Irish name linked from the Defence Forces’ Air Corps pages; in English the service calls itself the Air Corps, and Irish Air Corps is the usual name abroad and the Wikipedia title
Fundado
1922An Air Service headquarters was set up at Baldonnel in June 1922, according to the Military Archives. It was renamed the Irish Army Air Corps in 1924, the date Wikipedia gives as its foundation, and the first aircraft was bought in 1921
Parte de
Defence Forces (Ireland)One of the three services with the Army and the Naval Service, under the Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Rossa Mulcahy
Sede
Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co. DublinThe Air Corps’ only military airfield; renamed after Roger Casement in February 1965
General Officer Commanding
Brig Gen Rory O’ConnorIn post by 2022; appointment date not confirmed on an official page
Ministro de Defensa
Helen McEnteeNamed as Minister for Defence in the December 2025 Falcon 6X and 2026 radar announcements

Fortaleza

Personal
689 (establishment 866)December 2023, as reported by Wikipedia from Dáil figures; no later official figure was found. An Air Force Reserve of at least 200 is planned
Aviones de combate
NingunoNo fighters since the Fouga Magisters were withdrawn by 1999. The eight PC-9M trainers can carry rocket pods and .50 machine guns for close air support
Ala fija
  • Airbus C295 — 3 (2 maritime patrol, 1 transport)
  • Pilatus PC-12NG — 4
  • Pilatus PC-9M — 7–8
  • Dassault Falcon 6X — 1
  • Viking 400 Twin Otter — 1 (Garda)

The official fleet page had not been updated for the 2023–2026 changes when checked; the list follows the delivery reports

Helicópteros
  • AW139 — 6
  • EC135 P2+ — 2
  • EC135 T2 — 2 (Garda)

The two EC135 T2 fly for the Garda Air Support Unit with Air Corps pilots

Bajo pedido
  • Airbus H145M — 4

H145M contract for EUR 91.7 million excluding VAT; three due by the end of 2027 and one early in 2028

Vigilancia aérea
No primary radar yetFive deployable long-range Thales radars ordered through France’s DGA on 18 September 2026; deliveries from 2027, full capability end 2028

Infraestructura

bases aéreas
Casement Aerodrome, BaldonnelThe only Air Corps airfield: headquarters, both operations wings, the support wings and the Air Corps College
Detachment
Custume Barracks, AthloneHome of the Emergency Aeromedical Service helicopter since 2012
Closed airfields
  • Gormanston — fighter base from 1944, closed 2002
  • Rineanna (Shannon) — wartime deployment from 30 August 1939

Other historical fields (Fermoy, Collinstown, Finner) were not confirmed from sources reached for this page

Organización
  • No. 1 Operations Wing — fixed-wing
  • No. 3 Operations Wing — helicopters
  • No. 4 Support Wing — maintenance
  • No. 5 Support Wing — logistics
  • Air Corps College

Plus Air Corps Headquarters and a Communications and Information Services Squadron

Equipo de exhibición
Silver SwallowsFouga team 1982–1998, named in 1987; reformed with four PC-9Ms in 2022
vigilancia aérea
No interceptorsThe Irish Times reported in May 2023 that a 1952 understanding lets the RAF intercept threats in Irish airspace
Estructura

How the Irish Air Corps is organised

One headquarters and one airfield: at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, two operations wings, two support wings and the Air Corps College. The Air Corps flies no fighters — its last jets, the Fouga Magisters, were withdrawn in 1999 — and has no primary radar yet; a 1952 understanding reported by The Irish Times lets the RAF intercept threats in Irish airspace. Five Thales long-range radars were ordered on 18 September 2026, for full capability by the end of 2028.

RO

General de brigadaRory O’ConnorGeneral Officer Commanding the Air Corps
Air Corps Headquarters
Sede

Air Corps Headquarters

Baldonnel

At Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, under the General Officer Commanding, Brig Gen Rory O’Connor, in post by 2022. The Air Corps is one of three services of the Defence Forces, with the Army and the Naval Service; the 2026 implementation plan will make it an Air Force with its own service chief.

Ala fija

No. 1 Operations Wing

Baldonnel

Two C295 maritime patrol aircraft since 2023, a C295 transport since October 2025, four PC-12NGs, three of them for surveillance, and the Falcon 6X delivered on 16 December 2025, for maritime patrol, ministerial transport, army co-operation and air ambulance work.

Helicópteros

No. 3 Operations Wing

Baldonnel

Six AW139s and two EC135 P2s for army support, air ambulance, transport and inland search; an Air Corps helicopter has flown the Emergency Aeromedical Service from Custume Barracks, Athlone, since 2012. Four H145Ms are on order, three by the end of 2027.

Capacitación

Air Corps College

Baldonnel

Trains pilots on the PC-9M, seven or eight in service, which replaced the Fouga Magisters and SF.260s from 2004 and can carry rocket pods and machine guns. Four fly as the Silver Swallows display team, reformed in 2022.

Apoyo

No. 4 and No. 5 Support Wings

Baldonnel

Maintenance, avionics, fuel, logistics, base security, medical services, air traffic control and fire cover for the whole aerodrome, with a Communications and Information Services Squadron.

Police air support

Garda Air Support Unit

Baldonnel

Air Corps pilots and technicians fly two EC135 T2 helicopters and, since 13 December 2025, a Viking 400 Twin Otter for the Garda Síochána, under the Department of Justice.

En servicio

What the Irish Air Corps flies today

Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.

Tipo Role En servicio Desde Unidades Notas
Airbus C295MPA (C295W maritime patrol)En servicio Patrulla marítima 2 2023 Two, contracted in December 2019 for EUR 230 million including VAT with training, ground equipment and spares.
Airbus C295W transportEn servicio Transporte táctico 1 2025 One (serial 286), contracted in December 2022 for EUR 55.297 million excluding VAT.
Pilatus PC-12NG (including PC-12 Spectre)En servicio ISTAR and utility transport 4 2020 Four: three surveillance “Spectre” aircraft and one utility aircraft, per Wikipedia.
Dassault Falcon 6XEn servicio Government transport and medical evacuation 1 2025 Uno.
Viking 400 (DHC-6 Twin Otter)En servicio Garda surveillance aircraft 1 2025 One, serial 288.
Pilatus PC-9MEn servicio Trainer and close air support 2004 7–8. The Defence Forces’ PC-9M page says eight; its fleet summary page says seven. One (265) was lost in 2009; Wikipedia lists a replacement, 269, arriving in 2017.
AgustaWestland AW139En servicio Helicóptero utilitario 6 2006 Seis.
Eurocopter EC135 P2+En servicio Helicóptero de entrenamiento y uso general 2 2005 Two (270 and 271).
Eurocóptero EC135 T2En servicio Police helicopter 2 2003 Dos.
AW1396
PC-124
C295MPA2
EC135 P22
EC135 T22
C2951
Falcon 6X1
Twin Otter1

Bajo pedido

Tipo Ordenado Primera entrega Notas
Helicópteros Airbus H145MBajo pedido 4 2027 Announced on 4 January 2025: EUR 91.7 million excluding VAT with Airbus Helicopters UK. Three by the end of 2027 and one early in 2028.

Más

For pilot training, ISTAR, light attack, maritime security and support to the Army Ranger Wing; replaces the two EC135 P2s.
Anteriormente operado

Every type the Irish Air Corps has retired

36 types, from the Martinsyde Type A Mk II and F.4 Buzzard to the Learjet 45. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.

Tipo Role Cima Servido Reemplazado por Notas
Learjet 45 Ministerial transport and air ambulance 1 2004–2026 Falcon 6X One (258).
CASA CN235-100MP Patrulla marítima 2 1994–2023 C295MPA Two bought in 1994; Wikipedia’s list counts three from 1991, including an earlier aircraft.
Britten-Norman BN-2T-4S Defender 4000 Garda surveillance aircraft 1 1997–2023 Viking 400 Uno.
Reims-Cessna FR172H/K Rocket Army co-operation, patrol and training 9 1972–2019 Eight FR172H and one FR172K attrition replacement.
Gulfstream IV Ministerial transport 1 1991–2014 One (251); a Gulfstream III was leased in 1990–92.
Beechcraft Super King Air 200 Maritime patrol and ministerial transport 3 1977–2009 Tres.
Eurocopter AS 355N Twin Squirrel Police helicopter 1 1997–2008 EC135 T2 Uno.
Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette III Helicóptero de búsqueda y rescate y de uso general 8 1963–2007 Ocho.
Aérospatiale SA 365F Dauphin 2 Search and rescue and naval helicopter 5 1986–2006 Five; two equipped for ship operations.
Aérospatiale SA 342L Gazelle Helicóptero de entrenamiento 2 1980–2005 EC135 P2 Dos.
SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W Warrior Armed basic trainer 1977–2004 PC-9M 10–11 SF.260W (Wikipedia main article 10, list 11), plus a former Zairian SF.260MC used as an instructional airframe and three SF.260D leased 1991–92.
Aérospatiale SA 330J Puma and Sikorsky S-61N (leased) Búsqueda y rescate 2 1982–2004 One Puma leased 1982–83; one S-61N leased 2003–04 before search and rescue was contracted out.
Fouga CM.170-2 Super Magister Jet trainer and light strike 1975–1999 PC-9M 6–7. Wikipedia’s main article says six; its aircraft list says seven.
Hawker Siddeley HS.125 Ministerial transport 3 1979–1992 Two HS.125-600B leased 1979–80 and one HS.125-700B 1980–92.
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.20 and T.22 Entrenador principal 14 1952–1981 12 T.20 and two T.22.
de Havilland DH.104 Dove Training, survey and navaid calibration 4 1953–1978 One each of the Dove 4, 5, 7 and 8A.
de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.55 Entrenador a reacción 1956–1976 Fouga Magister 6–7. Three arrived first; Wikipedia’s main article says six, its list seven.
Hunting Percival Provost T.51 and T.53 Entrenador avanzado 11 1954–1976 Four unarmed T.51 and seven armed T.53.
Avro 652A Anson I and Anson C.19 Reconnaissance, transport and navigation trainer 12 1937–1962 Dove Nine Anson I (1937–46) and three C.19 (1946–62).
Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9 Two-seat fighter trainer 6 1951–1961 Seis.
Supermarine Seafire LF.III (Type 506) Combatiente 12 1947–1955 12, denavalised before delivery.
Miles M.14A Magister and M.19 Master II Zapatos de deporte 39 1939–1953 Chipmunk, Spitfire Tr.9 27 Magister (1939–53) and 12 Master II (1943–49).
Hawker Hurricane I, IIA, IIB and IIC Combatiente 20 1940–1947 Seafire 20 in all: 12 Mk I, one IIA and one IIB (both interned after force-landing and used as trainers), six IIC from RAF surplus.
Westland Lysander II Army co-operation and target tug 6 1939–1947 Martinet Seis.
Fairey Battle TT.I Target tug 1 1941–1946 One RAF aircraft that force-landed in Co. Waterford, bought by Ireland.
Supermarine Walrus I Maritime reconnaissance 3 1939–1945 Tres.
Lockheed Hudson I Patrol 1 1941–1945 One RAF aircraft that force-landed in Co. Sligo, bought by Ireland.
Gloster Gladiator I Combatiente 4 1938–1944 Four; 12 more ordered were not delivered because of the war.
Hawker Hind I Entrenador avanzado 6 1940–1944 Six of 15 planned.
Hawker Hector Army co-operation 13 1941–1943 Ten from RAF surplus in 1941 and three replacements in 1942.
Vickers Vespa IV and V Army co-operation 8 1930–1942 Avro 626 Four of each.
Caza Bristol F.2B Aviones de combate y reconocimiento 14 1922–1935 Eight F.2B (1922–35) and six Mk II (1925–35).
Aire acondicionado DH.9 Bombardeo 8 1923–1935 Six plus two replacements in 1929.
Avro 504K Entrenador 6 1922–1932 Avro Tutor Seis.
Martinsyde Type A Mk II and F.4 Buzzard Transport and fighter 5 1921–1929 One Type A Mk II (bought September 1921) and four F.4.
Fábrica Real de Aeronaves SE5a Combatiente 1 1922–1922 Uno.
bases aéreas

Where the Irish Air Corps flies from

Los marcadores negros indican bases activas, los marcadores huecos, aeródromos que han cerrado. Every Air Corps aircraft is based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel; the only other permanent station is an air ambulance helicopter at Custume Barracks, Athlone, an Army barracks, not an airfield. Gormanston, home of the fighter squadron from 1944 to 1956, closed to air operations in 2002 and is still the Air Corps’ firing range; Rineanna, the wartime patrol detachment, is now Shannon Airport, and Collinstown, an RAF field where no Air Corps unit is recorded, is Dublin Airport. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Base aérea activa Cerrado o reservadoHaz clic en un marcador para abrir la página principal.
Base OACI Estado Pista Unidades y aeronaves
Casement AerodromeCounty Dublin (South Dublin) EIME Activo 10/281,828 m04/221.462 m
  • No. 1 Operations Wing: Airbus C295 (MPA and transport), Pilatus PC-12NG, Dassault Falcon 6X
  • No. 3 Operations Wing: AgustaWestland AW139, Eurocopter EC135 P2
  • Flying Training School (Air Corps College): Pilatus PC-9M
  • Garda Air Support Unit (flown by the Air Corps): Eurocopter EC135 T2, Viking 400 (DHC-6 Twin Otter development)
  • No. 4 and No. 5 Support Wings; CIS Squadron
  • Fighter Squadron / Light Strike Squadron: de Havilland Vampire T.55, Fouga CM.170 Magister
  • Helicopter search and rescue: Aérospatiale Alouette III, Aérospatiale SA365 Dauphin II
Custume Barracks, AthloneEmergency Aeromedical ServiceCounty Westmeath Activo
  • Emergency Aeromedical Service detachment: AgustaWestland AW139
RineannaShannon AirportCounty Clare EINN Cerrado 06/243,199 m
  • Coastal patrol detachment: Avro Anson, de Havilland Dragon
Gormanston AerodromeCounty Meath Cerrado en 2002
CollinstownDublin AirportCounty Dublin (Fingal) EIDW Closed 1922
  • RAF Collinstown (No 24 Training Depot Station, Irish Flight)

Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.

Orden de batalla

Who is stationed where in the Irish Air Corps

Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. Every flying unit is at Baldonnel, in No. 1 Operations Wing for fixed-wing aircraft and No. 3 for helicopters; the RAF units that used Gormanston and Collinstown before 1922 are listed too, each marked as British. Where a unit name, squadron number or date rests on Wikipedia alone, the entry says so.

Casement Aerodrome · EIMEIrish Air Corps Headquarters
No. 1 Operations WingFixed-wing operations wing · active
Airbus C295 (MPA and transport), Pilatus PC-12NG, Dassault Falcon 6X
No. 3 Operations WingHelicopter operations wing · active
AgustaWestland AW139, Eurocopter EC135 P2
Flying Training School (Air Corps College)Escuela de entrenamiento de vuelo · activa
Pilatus PC-9M
Garda Air Support Unit (flown by the Air Corps)Police air support · active
Eurocopter EC135 T2, Viking 400 (DHC-6 Twin Otter development)
No. 4 and No. 5 Support Wings; CIS SquadronMaintenance, logistics and airfield services · active
Fighter Squadron / Light Strike Squadron1956–1999
de Havilland Vampire T.55, Fouga CM.170 Magister
Helicopter search and rescue1963–2007
Aérospatiale Alouette III, Aérospatiale SA365 Dauphin II
Custume Barracks, Athlone (Emergency Aeromedical Service) · Irish Air Corps detachment in an Army barracks
Emergency Aeromedical Service detachmentAir ambulance helicopter detachment · active
AgustaWestland AW139

No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.

Cronología

Irish Air Corps milestones, 1914 to today

1917

Baldonnel is laid out for the Royal Flying Corps; Gormanston opens as a training depot the same year.

1921

A Martinsyde Type A Mk II is bought and kept at Croydon to fly Michael Collins home if the Treaty talks fail.

1922

June: an Air Service headquarters is set up at Baldonnel with 14 pilots and 13 aircraft (Military Archives). 28 June: the Civil War begins.

1924

The service is renamed the Irish Army Air Corps.

1928

12 April: the Bremen leaves Baldonnel for the first east-to-west Atlantic crossing, with Comdt James Fitzmaurice aboard.

1939

30 August: five aircraft and 92 personnel deploy to Rineanna (Shannon) as the Emergency begins.

1940

The first Hurricanes arrive; about 20 fly in Irish markings by 1947.

1956

30 July: three Vampire T.55s bring the jet age. The fighter squadron moves from Gormanston to Baldonnel.

1963

The Alouette III, the first Air Corps helicopter, enters service.

1965

February: Baldonnel is renamed Casement Aerodrome.

1975

Fouga Super Magisters replace the Vampires; SF.260W Warriors follow in 1977.

1999

2 July: Dauphin 248 (Rescue 111) crashes at Tramore, killing four. The last Magisters are withdrawn.

2004

PC-9Ms replace the Magisters and SF.260s; a Learjet 45 joins the ministerial fleet.

2009

12 October: PC-9M 265 crashes near Lough Mask; Capt Derek Furniss and Cadet David Jevens are killed.

2022

The centenary; the Silver Swallows reform with PC-9Ms. February: the Commission on the Defence Forces reports.

2023

27 June: the first C295 maritime patrol aircraft arrives; the CN235s retire.

2025

January: four H145Ms announced. October: third C295 delivered. 13 December: Viking 400 arrives. 16 December: Falcon 6X delivered.

2026

21 April: last Learjet flight. 30 July: long-range radars approved. 18 September: five Thales radars ordered.

historial de combate

Every war and crisis the Irish Air Corps has faced

Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.

3conflictos
1922Primero
1Avión perdido
0Delicado
  • The Irish Civil War 1922–1923 Flew in support of the Provisional Government’s National Army against the anti-Treaty IRA; Wikipedia describes its role as minimal
  • The Emergency 1939–1945 Neutrality patrols, coastal reconnaissance and air defence of a neutral state; no combat with belligerent aircraft is recorded
  • Lebanon extraction flight 2026 A single C295 flight into Beirut to deliver senior Defence Forces officers to UN posts and bring out Irish Army engineers

Abrir el registro completo de combate

Equipos de exhibición

The Irish Air Corps display team

Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.

Formation aerobatic team · ActiveSilver SwallowsThe Irish Air Corps formation team, a Fouga Magister four-ship that won at RIAT in 1997 and disbanded a year later, revived on Pilatus PC-9Ms for the corps&rsquo…Read the Silver Swallows page
Preguntas y respuestas

Everything people ask about the Irish Air Corps

What is the Irish Air Corps called in Irish?
An tAerchór. The Defence Forces’ own website links to that Irish name from its Air Corps pages and calls the service simply the Air Corps in English; Irish Air Corps is the usual name abroad and the title of its English Wikipedia article. Before 1924 it was the National Army’s Air Service, and from 1924 the Irish Army Air Corps.
What aircraft does the Irish Air Corps fly in 2026?
Three Airbus C295s (two for maritime patrol, one transport), four Pilatus PC-12NGs, seven to eight Pilatus PC-9M trainers, one Dassault Falcon 6X government jet and a Viking 400 Twin Otter flown for the Garda. The helicopters are six AW139s and four EC135s, two of them for the Garda. Four Airbus H145Ms are on order for 2027–28.
Does Ireland have fighter jets?
No. The last Air Corps jets with a combat role, the Fouga Magister trainers armed with guns and rockets, were withdrawn by 1999. The PC-9M turboprop can carry rockets and machine guns for close air support, but it cannot intercept an airliner or a military jet. Wikipedia notes that jet combat aircraft are only under consideration.
Who protects Irish airspace?
The Air Corps has no interceptors and, until the new radars arrive, no primary radar. The Irish Times reported in May 2023 that under an understanding dating from 1952 the Royal Air Force may intercept threats in Irish airspace; Senator Gerard Craughwell challenged the arrangement in the High Court. On 18 September 2026 the government ordered five long-range Thales radars, with full capability due at the end of 2028.
Did the Irish Air Corps fly Spitfires and Hurricanes?
Yes. About 20 Huracanes served from 1940 to 1947, some bought and some interned after RAF pilots force-landed in Ireland. Twelve Seafires followed in 1947 and six two-seat Volcán Tr.9 trainers in 1951; three of the trainers were still flying as warbirds in 2025.
Did the Air Corps fight in the Second World War?
No. Ireland was neutral in what it called the Emergency, and Wikipedia records no combat between Air Corps aircraft and a belligerent aircraft; its fighters shot down dozens of stray barrage balloons. The Military Archives count 163 foreign aircraft that force-landed in Ireland. Their crews were interned at the Curragh, though Allied airmen were released by October 1944 while Germans were held to the end.
What happened to Rescue 111 at Tramore in 1999?
At about 00:40 on 2 July 1999 Air Corps Dauphin 248, callsign Rescue 111, crashed into sand dunes at Tramore, Co. Waterford, after two missed approaches to Waterford Airport in bad weather. Captains Dave O’Flaherty and Mick Baker, Sergeant Paddy Mooney and Corporal Niall Byrne were killed. According to Flying in Ireland, the report found shortcomings in air traffic, fire-cover and accommodation arrangements at the new Waterford detachment. The Irish Coast Guard took over the Air Corps’ search and rescue role by 2002.
Where is the Irish Air Corps based?
At Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, in Co. Dublin, its home since 1922 and its only military airfield. The field was laid out for the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and was renamed after Roger Casement in 1965. An AW139 of the Emergency Aeromedical Service is based at Custume Barracks, Athlone. Gormanston, the wartime fighter base, closed in 2002.
Who are the Silver Swallows?
The Air Corps’ aerobatic team. It began in 1982 with four Fouga Magisters, took the name Silver Swallows in 1987, first displayed abroad at RAF Brawdy in 1990 and was disbanded in 1998 when the Fougas retired. It re-formed with four PC-9Ms for the centenary in 2022.
Is the Irish Air Corps becoming an air force?
Yes, on paper. The Defence Forces implementation plan published in early 2026, as reported by Flying in Ireland, turns the Air Corps into a full Air Force with its own service chief and headquarters and an Air Force Reserve of at least 200. No date for the change of name was confirmed in the sources checked.

Fuentes y lecturas adicionales

Todos los datos, verificados

Cifras verificadas el 30/09/2026. Las páginas de Orden de Batalla se regeneran a partir de un único conjunto de datos; si algún número aquí no coincide con el de una página del Libro de las Bestias, esta página es la más reciente de las dos.

Photographs: Photo: simon butler from halesowen, uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Polish C-295 shown): Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Twin Otter in civil markings shown): M J Richardson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (EC135 in civil markings shown): John Hughes from Cork, Ireland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: flybyeigenheer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Defender in other markings shown): Cpl Rich Denton / Wikimedia Commons (OGL 3) · Photo: Aeroplanepics0112 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Simon Boddy from Maidenhead, Uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Cessna 172 in civil markings shown): Md Shaifuzzaman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Colin Cooke Photo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Roland Turner from Birmingham, Great Britain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: RuthAS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo (Chipmunk in other markings shown): Irish Defence Forces from Ireland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Hurricane in other markings shown): Bill Nicholls / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Gladiator in other markings shown): Bill Nicholls / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Hawker Hind in other markings shown): Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Lysander in other markings shown): M J Richardson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: No machine-readable author provided. RuthAS assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) · Photo (Walrus in other markings shown): Alan Wilson / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Dove in civil markings shown): Steve Knight from Halstead, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Bristol Fighter in other markings shown): Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Irish Defence Forces from Ireland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (Avro 504 in other markings shown): Christine Matthews / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Eric Jones / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Dauphin shown): jaqian from Dublin, Ireland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo (AS355 in other markings shown): Acabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)