Army chief hopes to replace Air Corps fleet

The Defence Forces Chief of Staff is hoping to replace the Air Corps’s ageing fleet of Cessnas and purchase a third new ship for the Naval Service within the next five years.

The Air Corps’ five Cessnas have a combined age of more than 200 years and the pilots who fly them are all younger than the aircraft.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle described the Cessna as “a great workhorse” which played an important role in internal security.