A new Irish government jet may struggle to land in bad weather because it was ordered without key navigation equipment from an Israeli firm, according to a report Tuesday by the Irish outlet The Journal.

The 53 million euro (61 million USD) Dassault Falcon 6X aircraft would normally include Elbit’s FalconEye low-visibility system, a system of cameras and censors that gives pilots additional information amid fog or darkness.

In August 2024, Ireland said it would no longer award Israeli companies defense contracts, citing an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The report noted that Ireland recently inducted four new helicopters and a maritime patrol aircraft that include systems made by Elbit and other Israeli firms, however, in this particular case Ireland would have had to enter a written agreement with the Israeli company in order to have the system included, and “procurement officials determined this was a step too far.”

The Irish defense department has not confirmed or denied the absence of the system, but has said “there are no current limits on the operational capability of the aircraft.”

However, The Journal cited pilots as saying the lack of the FalconEye does limit pilots’ options for landing in foggy weather.

“Enhanced vision systems use a number of infra-red and other light spectrum cameras whose imagery is projected........

© The Times of Israel