Transport Aircraft

Any Irish being evacuated would simply need to go as far as Kenya, not all the way to Ireland, in the same way that evacuees from Afghanistan were taken to Oman. They could even go to Eritrea,whose people are bitter enemies of the Tigreans. Somalia,for obvious reasons,is a no-go,so South it is. We have friendly relations with Kenya.

It’s been the choice by the nation since it’s founding…

exactly!…pressure from PESCO or UK is definitely in the pipeline. It’s horrendous situation which will boil over eventually. It excepted that if purchase or lease a fit for purpose aircraft, the certain TDs may stand at Baldonnel like they did at Shannon.

Well in 2017 it was highlighted and questions were asked as to the reasons why spending dropped from 1.1bln to 997mln “This has seen the Defence Forces under pressure to maintain numbers across the forces to ensure the security and operability of our forces within Ireland and their missions abroad.” The view from Pesco is we need to spending more comparing us from a neutrality perspective to Sweden. We have the same opt-in pact as Sweden but if we cannot spend on our own forces then we cannot participate in projects so there will be pressure eventually. You correct on the uk point, hope it will give them a kick.

I slightly disagree with you and think 2/3 Casa 295 Military spec would be ideal for us for day to day transport needs. It makes sensce ecomically pilots, crew and maintaince. If we wanted heavy air lift we should give the germans a call about joining there A400M program

https://www.janes.com/amp/germany-to-form-a400m-multinational-air-transport-unit-with-hungary/ZnlJK3dHVU9mZ28xajRJVkc5dVI5VFp1cVMwPQ2

Repatriation flights now needed for Irish citizens in morocco, id hate to be the civil servant making the begging phone calls to the France/UK

More than likely the UK pumas will be replaced by the AW149 otherwise lenonardo will close there yeoivil plant. So the british governenment will be forced to buy them. So i wonder would there be an oppertunity for the defence forces to add to that order for replacing the air corps 139s in the future?

I taught i read in the examiner or times a while back that 139 fleet life span had being halfed due to the 112 role and firefighting

That would require thinking of course…

Though honest question was the fire fighting role even considered when the helicopters were bought? I could well imagine the weight and heat conditions burning through the lifespan of them given the level of usage they seem to get nowadays for firefighting.

Would there be a better helicopter for both firefighting and air ambulance ?

Cos I don't have a problem with them being used to do an essential job - and if that essential job wears the tool out more quickly ,well it's essential , essential jobs are why I have that tool in the first place ...

Well it's Saturday, isn't it, the Air Corps is a 9-5 Monday to Thursday and 4.30 on a Friday type deal.

Don't come at me, I do jest. Mostly.

But seriously, its a good point made above that at peak there were 14 or 15 helicopters of 3 types on the Air Corps roster.

Perhaps the heavier capability of the AW139 was intended to replace the work of 10 aircraft with 6, but maybe it wasn't quite that simple.

I believe there was options around the time of the AW139 buy and that two were exercised to bring it up to six but the last two never taken out, I believe there was two options for EC135 also which could have possibly led to a fleet of 4 plus 8

We should have bought Blackhawks. Ministers like being flown around in AW139s, it reminds them of the ubiquitous A109s of the Celtiic Tiger days. Don't think they would be so fond of a proper support helicopter like a Blackhawk

lol, I couldn't be exact about that date i believe a few months after purchase and with the doors falling off and the winch not working from time to time, the problems were there at the start, but we saved money....

They had massive issues with those helos, they've ordered black hawks. I doubt they would pass any type of saftey test give the issues and they are second hand.

https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/australia-plans-early-retirement-for-nh90-helicopters-as-it-lines-up-black-hawk-order/146797.article