The Irish Air Corps is poised to begin operations with its newly acquired Dassault Aviation Falcon 6X, with the asset to be employed primarily in a VIP transport role.

Delivered to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel in mid-December 2025, the twinjet “is set to enter service in a matter of weeks”, according to aircraft procurement and completion specialist ALTEA.

The French-built type is replacing a Bombardier Learjet 45 which aviation analytics company Cirium records as having been operated by the Irish Air Corps from December 2003 until being placed into storage in early October last year.

“This aircraft represents a major step forward in the state’s strategic reach, delivering enhanced capability in airlift, medical evacuation, and government transport,” says Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, chief of staff of the defence forces.

“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,” he adds.

Configured to carry up to 14 passengers, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D-powered business jet has a maximum range of 5,500nm (10,175km), ALTEA says.

Robin Dunlop, the company’s partner responsible for interiors and completions, says the Irish asset is being fielded with “a modern suite of avionics, secure communications, and the latest operational and safety equipment”.

ALTEA notes that the aircraft – which carries the service registration 290 – is “the first military-registered Falcon 6X, and the second delivered by Dassault to a European state”. Cirium data shows that Avio Service operates a single Belgrade-based example of the type for the government of Serbia.

ALTEA partner Jean Semiramoth says the company “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”.

The 6X was delivered “on schedule, just under a year after the government announced its purchase”, the company notes.