Two United States Air Force fighter jets diverted to Shannon Airport on Saturday after one declared an emergency over the North Atlantic.
One of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagles experienced a fuel issue and sought to divert to Shannon, requesting priority clearance. A second jet accompanied the aircraft en route to Shannon.
Shannon Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service was alerted and crews were mobilised to holding points adjacent to Shannon’s runway.
The Irish Coast Guard was also alerted and the RNLI lifeboats based at Inis Mór in the Aran Islands and Kilrush, Co Clare, on the Shannon Estuary were also placed on standby.
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The first of the two jets landed safely at 4.34pm, followed soon afterwards by the second aircraft. Fire crews remained at their holding points and didn’t follow the jets down the runway.
The two aircraft taxied to a remote parking stand at the airport.
It is understood that the jets are based at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
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It is also believed the jets were travelling as a group that had left a Royal Air Force base in the UK earlier. The jets departed RAF Lakenheath having arrived there from deployment in the Middle East on September 26th.
A total of 12 F15s were expected to leave the UK en route to the US on Saturday accompanied by three aerial refuelling aircraft.
The use of Shannon Airport by US military flights is controversial, with anti-war campaigners opposed to the practice.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was asked if people should be concerned about Ireland’s neutrality as a result of the jets landing at Shannon Airport.
“No, our position is very clear. We are militarily neutral. Everybody knows that, acknowledges that. We’re not a member of any alliance,” he said.
“We’re not members of Nato, and we have no plans to join Nato.”
He said landings are facilitated for many Governments and “all of those are agreed in advance”.
“I’m not aware of the precise emergency dimension to the issue that you’ve raised there [the landings on Saturday],” he said.
“But we have clear protocols laid out in respect of that, and that continues to be our position.”
