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Irish Air Corps
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The Irish Air Corps provides the air defence function of Oglaigh na hÉireann (the Irish Defence Forces), in support of the Army and Naval Service, together with such other roles as may be assigned by the Government (e.g. Search and Rescue, Ministerial Air Transport Service). The principal airbase is Casement Aerodrome located at Baldonnel.
origin of the Air Corps goes back to the Anglo-Irish Treaty talks of 1921, when a Martinsyde Type A Mark II biplane was purchased and put on 24-hour standby at Croydon airport in order to allow Michael Collins to escape back to Ireland if the talks failed.
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Encyclopedia
The Irish Air Corps provides the air defence function of Oglaigh na hÉireann (the Irish Defence Forces), in support of the Army and Naval Service, together with such other roles as may be assigned by the Government (e.g. Search and Rescue, Ministerial Air Transport Service). The principal airbase is Casement Aerodrome located at Baldonnel.
History
Origins
The origin of the Air Corps goes back to the Anglo-Irish Treaty talks of 1921, when a Martinsyde Type A Mark II biplane was purchased and put on 24-hour standby at Croydon airport in order to allow Michael Collins to escape back to Ireland if the talks failed. As it happened, the plane was not needed for this mission, and it became the first Irish military aircraft, arriving in June 1922.
By the end of 1922 the Air Corps comprised ten aircraft (including 6 Bristol F2B fighters from the First World War), and about 400 men.
During the 1930s funds were not plentiful, but in 1938 four Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters were delivered - a further eight were ordered but were embargoed by the outbreak of the Second World War.
World War II
During World War II (or The Emergency) there is no record of Air Corps planes engaging any belligerent aircraft, although dozens of escaped barrage balloons were shot down. 163 belligerent aircraft force-landed in Ireland during the war, and in this way the Air Corps acquired a Lockheed Hudson, a Fairey Battle, and three Hawker Hurricanes.
For a short time an order was given to Irish fighter pilots to use their aircraft to block the runways of airfields. They were then to use rifles and shoot at any invaders.
The Hurricane gave the Air Corps a proven modern fighter, and at one stage no fewer than 20 flew in Irish colours.
Post-war years
After the war, the Hurricanes were replaced by Supermarine Seafires and a few two-seat Spitfire trainers. The de Havilland Dove became the Corps' transport aircraft. The jet age arrived on 30 June 1956 when the Corps took delivery of a de Havilland Vampire T.55 trainer.
Expansion
In 1963 the Corps took delivery of its first helicopters, SA.316B Alouette IIIs, of which seven remained in service at the start of the 21st century. In their time, 3,300 people have been assisted by these helicopters in their Search and Rescue and air ambulance roles.
During the mid-sixties, and early seventies, the Corps played an important part in creating the basis for Ireland’s present film industry. Pilots and engineering staff participated in creating a 1965 box office success, The Blue Max, starring James Mason, Ursula Andress and George Peppard. The fleet of World War One replicas, owned by ex-RCAF fighter pilot Lynn Garrison’s Blue Max Aviation, Ltd., was originally based at Baldonnel before a move to Weston Aerodrome at nearby Leixlip. Here the Corps continued its involvement, providing the aircrews and engineering staff to support Darling Lili, The Red Baron, Richthofen & Brown, Zeppelin and a number of television commercials.
Lynn Garrison was also responsible for coordinating the first demonstration of the Marchetti SF-260 Warrior at Baldonnel. As a result of this presentation the Corps acquired a number of Warriors which served for years.
In the mid-1970s the expansion of the Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) following Ireland's accession to the European Economic Community (now the European Union) led to the acquisition of the Corps' first business jet, a BAe 125-700.
In 1975 several Fouga Magister CM-170 jet aircraft were purchased secondhand from France. They were used for training, for the Light Strike Squadron and for the Silver Swallows display team. They were withdrawn from service in 1998 and not replaced, leaving the Irish Air Corps without any jet combat aircraft.
Recent history
As part of its obligations to the European Union, Ireland is responsible for patrolling 132,000 square miles (342,000 km²) of sea. In order to do this, the Air Corps employed three Beechcraft Super King Air]2OO] turboprop, later replaced by two [[CASA CN-235]100 MPA] maritime patrol aircraft. Two of the Super King Airs were disposed of and the third was allocated to the MATS.
In its MATS role, following Ireland's assumption of the EU Presidency the Corps leased a Grumman Gulfstream III which in 1990 became the first Irish military aircraft to circumnavigate the world, conveying the Foreign Affairs Minister to Ottawa, Anchorage, Sapporo, Brunei, Kuching, Bombay, Dubai and Rome before returning home. In more recent times, a Grumman Gulfstream IV has been acquired, in addition to a Learjet 45.
On March 18 2004 eight Pilatus PC-9M trainers were officially accepted by the Air Corps. On April 21 of that year the first three of the aircraft arrived. The Pilatus aircraft were the first Air Corps aircraft to break Air Corps tradition when the GOC (General Officer Commanding - a Brigadier General) decided to have the Pilatus tail numbers in the 260 series, when the most recent aircraft to be purchased (the Bombardier Learjet 45) had the tail number 258. This meant that the tail number 259 was skipped. The Pilatus is the first Air Corps aircraft to have ejector seats since the Vampire.
Two new Eurocopter EC135P2 Light Utility Helicopters were delivered to the Irish Air Corps (IAC) in November 2005. More recently, the IAC took delivery of new Utility Helicopters that will facilitate a substantial increase in capabilities to the IAC. The first of four AgustaWestland AW139 Utility Helicopters (with an option for an additional two), were handed over to the IAC at Agusta's facility in Milan in November 2006. Two of the AW139 initially remained in Milan to provide training for Irish pilots before being flown to Ireland in December 2006. These helicopters are another first for the IAC as they are delivered with the capability to carry door mounted 7.62mm GPMG (General Purpose Machine Guns).
It was also revealed in 2006 that the IAC had signed a contract with EADS CASA to upgrade the two CN-235s to the FITS Persuader standard. This will increase the aircraft's capability as they will be fitted with enhanced radars, forward looking infra red equipment and a new electronic and avionics suite. The upgrade is to start in 2007 at the rate of one aircraft at a time.
Aircraft
Current
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
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| AgustaWestland AW139 || || Medium Lift/Utility Helicopter ||139 || 6 ||AW 139 '278' Last one delivered Dec 08||
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| Beechcraft Super King Air || || VIP Trainer/VIP transport || 200 || 1 ||
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| CASA CN-235 || || Transport/Patrol|| MPA 100 || 2 ||
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| Cessna 172 Skyhawk || || Laison/Trainer || H || 5 || Three W/O
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| Eurocopter EC 135 || ||Light Utility Helicopter || P2 || 2 ||
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| Gulfstream IV || || VIP Transport || IV || 1 ||
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| Learjet 45 || || VIP Transport || 45 || 1 ||
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| Pilatus PC-9 || || Trainer/Light Ground Attack || M || 8 ||
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| colspan=6 align=center | In addition, the IAC operates on behalf of the national police force's Garda Air Support Unit:
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| Eurocopter EC 135T2 || || GASU || T2 || 2 ||
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| Britten-Norman Defender 4000 || || GASU || BN2T-4S || 1 ||
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Recent equipment retirements
Replaced by the PC-9Ms, several SF-260WE Marchetti Warriors (the previous fixed-wing mainstay of the Air Corps College) were sold to a private collector in the United States - though one example was retained for the IAC's museum collection. Several other aircraft (including four Dauphins and one Gazelle) have also been recently retired from service, officially struck off the IACs aircraft register and sold to foreign buyers.
A Sikorsky S-61N (previously operated by the IAC for Search and Rescue/Coast Guard operations) was recently returned to the leasing company, and contractors now operate the helicopter in the same capacity. As part of this consolidation to a limited number of supported types, and following the exercise of two further options on AW139 Utility Helicopters, the previous army support fleet, the Alouette IIIs, were officially "stood down" at a ceremony at Casement aerodrome on September 21 2007.
The Eurocopter Ecureuil helicopter of the Garda Air Support Unit was officially replaced by a second Eurocopter EC 135 in January 2008.
Ranks
The Air Corps' ranks are similar to those of the Irish Army. The current strength is 850 all ranks.
Officers
Non-commissioned
See also
External links
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