Ireland's new €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X government jet was delivered without the Israeli-made FalconEye low-visibility landing system, after procurement officials decided signing a contract with Elbit Systems was 'a step too far,' according to The Journal. Irish defense officials say the aircraft has no operational limitations, but pilots told the outlet the missing technology could reduce landing options in poor weather.
Ireland's new €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X government jet was delivered without the Israeli-made FalconEye low-visibility landing system, after procurement officials decided that signing a contract with Elbit Systems was 'a step too far,' according to a report by The Journal published Wednesday. The quote directly confirms the political motivation behind the exclusion, which had been reported on Tuesday by multiple outlets.
The Zioneer first reported the story on Tuesday, Aug 4, at 14:13 Jerusalem, citing i24NEWS and aviation sources that the FalconEye system had been excluded to avoid a procurement agreement with an Israeli company. The same day, The Zioneer published a version noting that the decision endangered the Irish prime minister's life, though the system was later identified as a landing aid rather than a security system. Earlier today, Wednesday morning, The Zioneer published a commentary highlighting the consequences of the boycott policy for the jet's operational capabilities.
The exclusion of the FalconEye system is a direct result of Ireland's consistent policy of avoiding procurement agreements with Israeli defense firms, driven by domestic political pressure and a broader diplomatic alignment with Palestinian narratives, as The Zioneer has documented in its topic background.
It remains unclear whether the Irish government plans to seek an alternative system or retrofit the aircraft at a later date. Irish defense officials maintain that the aircraft has no current operational limitations, but pilots have noted that the missing technology could reduce landing options in poor weather.
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Source and signal
- Open-source intake