The Government has signed a deal worth almost €100 million for the purchase of four new military helicopters.
The new Airbus H145m aircraft will replace and expand the Air Corps’ small fleet of light utility helicopters. The services’s two existing EC135 helicopters are approaching the end of their service life and are due to be scrapped in 2027.
The Air Corps will take delivery of the new aircraft from Airbus sometime early in 2027 in a deal worth €91.7 million plus VAT.
The primary role of the four new helicopters will be training new pilots before they move on to larger aircraft or flying helicopters for the Garda Air Support Unit.