The Irish Prime Minister has ordered a jet without key weather technology due to the nation's ban on Israeli products, but the plane will now struggle to land safely.
Ireland opted not to include the advanced landing assistance system on its new €53million Dassault Falcon 6X government jet because the technology is manufactured by Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, according to a report by The Journal.
The aircraft, which transports Taoiseach Micheál Martin and other senior ministers, was ordered without the FalconEye system as procuring it would have necessitated a direct agreement between Dublin and Elbit.
In 2024, Mr Martin, then serving as defence minister, declared that Ireland would refuse to purchase equipment incorporating Israeli-made components.
The FalconEye system employs a combination of cameras and sensors that enable pilots to maintain visibility in conditions of poor weather, particularly dense fog.
Without it, the aircraft may need to divert to an alternative airport when conditions deteriorate, rather than completing its intended landing.
Former Irish Air Corps pilot Kevin Phipps underscored the practical consequences of the decision.
He told The Journal: "The operational benefit of this system is the ability to land in fog when other aircraft would have to divert to another airport."
The Dassault Falcon 6X will be without the key FalconEye technology
|IRISH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
The capability represents a significant safety advantage that Ireland's government jet will now operate without.
The 14-seat jet touched down in Ireland shortly before Christmas 2025, serving as the replacement for the government's ageing Learjet.
Beyond its primary role ferrying the Taoiseach and ministers on official business, the aircraft is also available for long-range medical evacuation flights.
Ireland's Department of Defence maintained that the absence of FalconEye does not compromise the jet's functionality, stating there are "no current limits" on the aircraft's operational capabilities.
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The jet will be used by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and other senior officials
|REUTERS
The department's position suggests officials are satisfied the Falcon 6X can fulfil its intended duties without the enhanced landing technology, despite the concerns raised by experienced pilots.
Yet the decision exposes a notable contradiction in Ireland's procurement approach.
Several other military aircraft recently acquired by the Irish Air Corps still rely on Israeli-manufactured technology.
Four new Airbus helicopters currently under construction for the service incorporate flight systems jointly developed by Airbus and Elbit, while Ireland's recently obtained C295 maritime patrol aircraft features radar produced in Israel.
The crucial distinction, according to The Journal, lies in how the technology is integrated.
Those systems are embedded within the aircraft and cannot feasibly be stripped out.
FalconEye, by contrast, would have demanded a standalone procurement arrangement with Elbit, making it politically untenable under Dublin's existing policy.