Ireland buys new Air Force One jet without a safety system for fog because the part is made in Israel
The Irish government’s new $61 million “Air Force One” is coming without a navigational system for landing in bad weather — because it’s boycotting Israeli parts.The Dassault Falcon 6X, designed to ferry Ireland’s leaders around the world, was purchased without the FalconEye system, a part which normally sits in the nose of the plane, allowing it to land in foggy or misty conditions, Irish outlet The Journal reported.That is because the FalconEye system is made by Israel-based manufacturer Elbit, sources told the outlet.Ireland’s governing Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said that the Republic would not be purchasing Israeli-made products, in a speech in 2024 when he was still Foreign Minister.The missing system could have come in handy in the Emerald Isle, which is famously one of the wettest and most overcast places in the world.Ireland gets just 1,100 and 1,600 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the cloudiest regions in Europe.Cork Airport, the nation’s second-busiest terminal after Dublin, experiences 99 days of fog annually.The new plane, made by Dassault Aviation SA, is capable of carrying 14 passengers and will primarily be used to transport the Taoiseach — the Irish prime minister — and other government officials.It was delivered at the end of 2025 to replace the Irish government’s previous Learjet.Despite the boycott of Israeli-made products, four new Irish Air Corps helicopters do include Israel-manufactured flight systems, because the craft cannot be made without them, the Journal reported.Irish-Israeli relations reached a nadir in recent years in the wake of the Oct.
7 terrorist attacks in 2023 and Israel’s subsequent war against Hamas in Gaza.Ireland has formally backed international legal actions against Israel, accusing the Jewish state of genocide at the International Court of Justice.Dublin has also formally recognized Palestinian statehood and placed entry bans on senior Israeli officials.Israel has since closed its...