Tel Aviv: Ireland has not yet found a replacement for the Israeli system that was planned to be used on its new official jet aircraft. The Irish anti-Israeli stance is limiting the capabilities of its new official jet aircraft.
Ireland ordered its new €53 million government jet, a Dassault Falcon 6X, without the Israeli-developed FalconEye navigation and landing system. The decision follows a 2024 policy against signing direct contracts with Israeli defence companies.
The omitted system is Falcon Eye, an enhanced vision technology built by French manufacturer Dassault in partnership with Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems. Installing FalconEye required a separate direct procurement agreement with Elbit Systems, which breached Ireland’s August 2024 policy against buying new Israeli defence equipment.
FalconEye is the first Head-Up Display (HUD) system to blend synthetic, data base-driven terrain mapping and real-time enhanced video generated by the unique multispectral Enhanced Vision System (EVS), providing an unprecedented level of situational awareness to flight crews in all conditions of operation, day and night.
Without FalconEye, pilots have reduced visibility aids and may be forced to divert to another airport during dense fog or low-light conditions.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
