Ireland’s PC-9M fleet close to gaining new weapons capability

The Irish Air Corps (IAC) are close to signing a contract with Austrian company Airborne Technologies (ABT) for three Self Contained Aerial Reconnaissance (SCAR) Pod systems to attach to its PC-9M fleet. The Pilatus PC-9M aircraft of the IAC were delivered in 2004 and the fleet of six became weapons capable in 2006. The two elements of the weapons system comprise of a pair of HMP 250 gun pods and a pair of LAU-7 70mm Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) pods.