Defence Forces to spend €500,000 training pilots for Government jet despite warnings plane will not last past 2024

The Defence Forces must spend almost half a million euro on training pilots for the ailing Government jet, despite official warnings the aircraft will not last another year.

The Air Corps is seeking a private company to provide training for 12 pilots a year to fly the 30-year-old Learjet 45 in a contract which will last at least two years. Late last year, the Government announced plans to spend about €45 million on a modern aircraft to replace the jet.

Officials say they need to continue training pilots on the outgoing aircraft as it is still in use in several roles, including as an air ambulance, and training courses must be secured well in advance due to high global demand for Learjet courses.

The Defence Forces has issued a request for tender for a private operator to provide simulator training courses for the Learjet. The contract is worth an estimated €450,000.

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The military is seeking an operator to provide 10 training courses a year to experienced pilots along with two introductory training courses for new pilots. The training will take place on an advanced simulator, involving a mock-up of the aircraft cockpit, rather than the aircraft itself.

Although commonly known as the Government jet, the Learjet, which was purchased for €8 million in 2004, fulfils a number of other missions including patient transfers and repatriating Irish citizens.

In recent years it has frequently been out of service due to mechanical issues, meaning Ministers have had to rely on other Air Corps aircraft or expensive private charters. On occasion, Ministers have had to make last-minute changes to travel arrangements due to problems with the aircraft.

[ Plans to spend over €3.2m on renting private jets for Government officials ]

A Defence Forces spokesman said the Learjet “remains active and in operational service” and there was a continuing requirement to ensure the availability of qualified pilots.

“As such, a training plan is in place to ensure that qualified pilot crews are available to operate the Learjet in a safe manner and in accordance with international best practice, including simulator courses.

“Due to the high demand for Learjet 45 simulator courses globally, it is necessary to book courses and slots well in advance and, as such, the [Defence Forces] aims to secure these until the end of 2025.”

Failure to do this would impact the “operational availability” of the aircraft, he said.

A briefing document prepared for Minister for Defence Micheál Martin last year stated the aircraft would require replacement “by 2024 at the latest” due to its age and decreasing reliability.

The Department of Defence plans to replace the Learjet with a larger, 10-passenger aircraft which, unlike the current jet, will be capable of transatlantic trips. It will also be capable of carrying defensive measures to guard against ground attacks.

A department spokeswoman said it was not possible to say when the replacement would enter service “as this will depend on the capacity of the manufacturer and production schedule”.

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