Ireland's new €53 million government jet was purchased without the Israeli-made FalconEye landing system, which is required for landings in fog, due to the boycott on Israel, according to i24NEWS. The system, developed by Elbit Systems, was excluded to avoid a procurement agreement with the Israeli company.
i24NEWS reported Tuesday that Ireland's new €53 million government jet was ordered without the FalconEye vision system, an Israeli-developed technology by Elbit Systems that enables landing in low visibility. The system is normally standard on the Dassault Falcon 6X. According to i24NEWS, Irish officials excluded the system to avoid a written procurement agreement with Elbit, citing the boycott on Israel. The report added that the omission could endanger the safety of the Irish prime minister, as the aircraft may be unable to land in fog conditions.
The Irish Department of Defence insisted the aircraft faces no current limits on its operational capability, according to the report. Aviation sources said the jet remains safe and operational, but pilots now have fewer landing options in severe fog and may need clearer conditions or an alternate airport. i24NEWS noted that other Irish military aircraft still contain Israeli technology, including Elbit-linked helicopter avionics and Israeli-made radar, where officials determined the systems could not practically be excluded.
The Zioneer earlier reported on this story, noting that the jet remains safe but pilots have fewer landing options in severe fog, based on the same i24NEWS report.
4 developments
- StrongGreece approves $4 billion 'Achilles Shield' air defense deal from Israel
- DevelopingIDF signs $5.6M deal for hundreds of drone-detection radar systems from Magos
- ConfirmedReport: Israel sent Iron Dome battery and troops to UAE during Iran war, but has not confirmed system details
- DevelopingFormer UK defense secretary: Israel's refusal to help Ukraine allowed Iran to fund drones, now Israelis face consequences
Source and signal
- Open-source intake