The Irish Air Force (Irish: Aerfhórsa na hÉireann) is the air component of the Irish Defense Force providing support to the Army and Navy, together with military and non-military air services such as search and rescue, air ambulance and the Ministerial Air Transport Service. The principal airbase is Casement Aerodrome located at Baldonnel. The Irish Air Force has 15,800 active duty personnel and 8,600 reserve personnel.
Aircraft Inventory[]
Combat Aircraft[]
Saab JAS 39C Gripen x 32 (Multirole Fighter)
Hawker Siddeley Fury FGR.1 x 12 (Multirole Fighter) - 36 more on order
Attack Aircraft[]
Alenia AC-27J Stinger x 4 (Aerial Gunship)
ARCS Aircraft[]
CASA C-295AEW&C x 4 (ARCS Aircraft)
Maritime Patrol Aircraft[]
- CASA C-295MPA Persuador x 4 (Maritime Patrol/Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft)
Reconnaissance Aircraft[]
- Pilatus PC-12NG x 4 (Surveillance Aircraft)
Transport Aircraft[]
- / Airbus A350 x 4 (Strategic Airlifter)
- CASA C-295W x 2 (Transport Aircraft)
- Dassault Falcon 6X x 1 (VIP Transport) - 1 more on order
- De Havilland Canada DHC-9 Bison x 8 (Transport Aircraft/Aerial Tanker)
- Pilatus PC-12NG x 2 (Transport Aircraft)
- Vickers Voyager KC.3 x 4 (Aerial Tanker)
Helicopters[]
- / Agusta-Westland AW101 Merlin x 16 (SAR/Transport Helicopter)
- / Agusta-Westland AW139 x 6 (Utility Helicopter)
- Eurocopter EC145 x 4 (Utility Helicopter)
- Westland Lion x 8 (Heavy Lift Transport Helicopter)
Trainer Aircraft[]
- Eurocopter EC145 x 2 (Rotorcraft Trainer)
- Hawker Siddeley Fury T.2 x 6 (Conversion Trainer) - 6 more on order
- Kawasaki T-4É x 18 (Lead in Fighter-Trainer)
- Pilatus PC-9M x 16 (Trainer)
- Saab JAS 39D Gripen x 12 (Conversion Trainer)
Police Air Support[]
- De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Guardian 400 x 2 (Police Air Support)
- Eurocopter EC135T2 x 2 (Police Air Support)
Munitions[]
- Air-to-Air Missiles: Red Flash, ASRAAM, Meteor
- Air-to-Ground Missiles: ALARM, Brimstone, Green Eagle, Storm Shadow, Taurus KEPD 350
- Bombs: ?