The Irish Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee, has welcomed the arrival of the Air Corp's new Dassault Falcon 6X strategic reach aircraft. The latest addition to the Air Corp's fleet complements the delivery in September of the third Airbus C-295.

Altea, an aircraft procurement and completion specialist, supported the government of Ireland in the procurement of the jet, just under a year after the organisation announced its purchase. The 6X is the first military registered aircraft of its type and the second delivered by Dassault to a European state, replacing a Learjet 45 which was operational for more than two decades, and is set to enter service in a matter of weeks.

On delivery, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy commented that the aircraft represents a significant milestone for the Irish Air Corps. “This aircraft represents a major step forward in the State's strategic reach, delivering enhanced capability in airlift, medical evacuation and government transport. Its range, performance and advanced systems will enable us to support Irish citizens and Defence Forces personnel across the globe with greater speed, safety and flexibility.

“The arrival of the Falcon 6X also comes at an important moment in our development as we progress toward becoming an Air Force. It reflects not only an investment in modern equipment, but in the future role, ambition and operational reach of Ireland's air capability.”

The acquisition of the aircraft followed a tender competition under the negotiated procedure set out in the Defence & Security Directive 81/2009/EC to acquire a new mid-sized strategic reach aircraft for air transport and broader utility use. Altea was specifically responsible for defining and formalising the requirements, specifications, award criteria and scoring of the tender. Altea also provided advice on the terms of the procurement contract.

Jean Sémiramoth, Altea partner, has been primarily responsible for the programme. “Altea provides a highly experienced team to manage projects of this scale and sensitivity,” he observes. “Working with complete trust and discretion, we collaborated closely with the team at the Irish Air Corps and Department of Defence over a nine-month period to strengthen the State's transport with an aircraft ideally suited for a range of operations including airlift and medical evacuation capabilities, while supporting defence forces' missions such as evacuating citizens, transferring patients and transporting supplies abroad. Remarkably, our team was able to quickly establish and formulate key objectives: working closely with all stakeholders allowed Altea to meet their needs for rationalising and expediting the whole process, effectively and efficiently.”

Manufactured by Dassault Aviation and configured for up to 14 passengers, the future-proofed, new-generation jet aircraft with advanced fuel efficiency has a maximum range of over 5,500 nautical miles with a maximum operating speed of 690 miles per hour. The Falcon 6X can comfortably reach destinations such as the Western Coast of the USA from Baldonnel in Ireland.

Robin Dunlop, Altea partner responsible for interiors and completions, explains: “The Falcon 6X is designed to meet a multiplicity of operational requirements and as such the interior is flexible, hard-wearing and practical. It features a modern suite of avionics, secure communications and the latest operational and safety equipment.”