During World War II (or The Emergency) there are no records of Air Corps planes engaging any belligerent aircraft, although dozens of escaped barrage balloons were shot down.

Is were initially ordered for the Irish Army Air Corps in 1940 but were not delivered due to a wartime embargo imposed by the British government.

IIcs that were delivered to the Irish Army Air Corps in March 1945, to eventually replace the Hurricane Mk.

[3] 163 belligerent aircraft force-landed in Ireland during the war, and in this way, the Air Corps acquired a Lockheed Hudson, a Fairey Battle, and three Hawker Hurricanes.

[5][6] The Vampires were replaced by six Fouga CM.170 Magister jet trainers that were purchased secondhand from the French Air Force and delivered from 1975 to 1976.

[7][8] The Magisters were used for jet training, by the Light Strike Squadron and for aerobatics by the Silver Swallows display team that was formed in 1986.

Here the Corps continued its involvement, providing aircrew and engineering staff to support films such as Darling Lili, Von Richthofen and Brown, Zeppelin and a number of television commercials.

[13] As a result of this presentation, in 1977 the Corps acquired ten SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W Warriors for basic and advanced training and light ground attack.

[14] Three Avro Anson C.19s were delivered in 1946 for radio and navigation training, air-to-ground photography, and transport, and were replaced by four de Havilland Doves which arrived in 1953, 1959, 1962, and 1970, which were also used for calibration of radar and landing aids at Dublin and Shannon airports.

The bad winter of 1962/3 incentivised the acquisition of helicopers and in November 1963, the Air Corps took delivery of its first three helicopters, SA.316B Alouette IIIs, followed by five more in 1972-3.

[20] The single engine of the Alouette limited its search and rescue range over water, and in 1986 five twin-engined Aérospatiale SA365Fi Dauphin II were acquired for the SAR role.

Two of these were modified for operation from the Naval Service Helicopter Patrol vessel LÉ Eithne, and equipped with crashproof fuel tanks and harpoon deck arrester gear.

[21][22][23] In 2024, the state settled a case with a former Air Corps technician, who had worked in the avionics section in the 1990s, and who was "allegedly exposed to toxic chemicals which he says caused severe health difficulties".

[29][30] In 1998, a review of the Air Corps conducted by Price Waterhouse for the Irish government recommended replacing the Fougas and Marchettis by eight light strike/trainer aircraft.

[37] On 12 October 2009, Air Corps instructor Captain Derek Furniss, and Cadet David Jevens were tragically killed when their PC-9M (#265) crashed during a training exercise in Connemara, County Galway.

[40] To support Ireland's assumption of the EU Presidency in 1990, the Corps leased a Grumman Gulfstream III (#249) – which in 1990 became the first Irish military aircraft to circumnavigate the world.

[42] Ireland again assumed the EU Presidency in 1994, and the Air Corps acquired a Learjet 45XR (#258) to supplement the government's ministerial travel requirements.

[50][51] The two maritime patrol Beechcraft were unsuitable for flying in long periods in a salty atmosphere and were replaced by two CASA CN235-100MP Persuader which arrived in 1994.

[52] These were upgraded in 2006/2007 by EADS CASA to the FITS Persuader standard with enhanced radar, forward looking infrared equipment and a new electronic and avionics suite.

On 2 July 1999, Captains Dave O'Flaherty and Mick Baker, Sergeant Pat Mooney and Corporal Niall Byrne were tragically killed when their Dauphin (#248) crashed into sand dunes at Tramore Beach, County Waterford.

[56][57] The crash only emphasised the limits of the Air Corps SAR helicopters, as the Alouette was only available during daylight hours and the Dauphin was small and had a short range.

[75][76] During the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Air Corps was tasked with evacuating approximately forty Irish citizens from the troubled country.

This planned purchase aligns with a recommendation for fixed wing strategic-reach capability as indicated under LOA 2 of the Commission on the Defence Forces report.

[110][112] In January 2023, the Irish government announced funding of €21.5 million for a replacement helicopter and fixed wing plane for the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU).

[107][108] In December 2024, the government announced the purchase of four Airbus H145M light utility helicopters for €91.7 million to replace the EC135s used for pilot training and the GASU.

[114] In February 2023, the government agreed to replace the Learjet 45, which has been in service since 2004, has becoming increasingly unreliable and unable to fly long distances.

[124][125] The 2015 White Paper on Defence stated that, if additional funding became available, the acquisition of a radar surveillance capability for the Air Corps would be a priority.

[128][127] In February 2022, the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) recommended acquiring primary radar under Level of Ambition (LOA) 2.

The Air Corps non-military capabilities in aid to the civil power and other Government departments include ministerial transport, maritime patrol, police support, search and rescue support, air ambulance, aerial firefighting, and aerial surveillance, observation and photography.

[145][146] The Air Corps operates two CASA C-295 long-range maritime patrol aircraft in support of fishery protection, marine surveillance, and search and rescue.