4 days ago
New Garda aircraft kitted out with high-tech police surveillance equipment in Austria
THE GARDA'S NEW surveillance plane has been fitted out with high-tech kit in Austria in the last week,
The Journal
has learned.
Delivery of the new de Havilland Canada-6 Twin Otter Guardian 400 aircraft is anticipated in the coming months.
The aircraft is to be in Ireland before the country's six-month EU presidency from July 2026 and is set to replace the current plane, the Britton Norman Defender which has reached the end of its service life.
It is understood the cost of the project will be in the region of €7 million, which will include the aircraft and the surveillance technology.
It is understood that the plane has been in Austria for a number of weeks as cameras and other surveillance equipment were attached. It has now returned to Switzerland where it will be painted before making its journey to Ireland.
The Austrian company is understood to be fitting the tech and internal work spaces for garda members trained to monitor the systems.
Sources have said this includes high-end police role equipment such as phone tracking technology, cameras and other surveillance technology such as capabilities to monitor shipping traffic.
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It is likely that the aircraft can stay in the air above an operation for a lengthy time, much more than the helicopter – known as loiter time, this capability is between five and seven.
An Garda Síochána owns and operates the aircraft which will be based in the Irish Air Corps base at Casement Aerodrome in South County Dublin.
It will be staffed by gardaí as observers but it will be flown by Air Corps pilots – the maintenance is done by a civilian contractor.
A tendering competition is also underway for a civilian contractor to carry out maintenance of the aircraft at Casement Aerodrome and at other unspecified locations.
The mission for the aircraft will be at a variety of incidents including surveillance of moving targets such as cars.
Garda tender documents state that the primary mission of GASU is to provide a patrol and response capability. The method of working is known as 'visual contact flights'.
The aircraft will be required to work by day and by night and will be used to 'identify a target, establish and maintain visual contact with the target'.
A statement has been requested from An Garda Síochána.
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