Reported in partnership with Declassified UK and Drop Site
The US government uses Irish territory as a critical hub for its illegal transport of munitions to the Israel Defense Forces and Nato member states.
The US Department of Defense owns F-35 combat jet components that have been transported through Irish airspace on hundreds of illegal cargo flights since at least 2021 – with the most recent flight taking place just two days ago.
The Ditch announced last month that it’s taking legal proceedings against the Irish state after government repeatedly ignored warnings this airspace is being used to illegally transport munitions of war to Israel for its ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
‘“The most lethal” combat jet in the world’
A three-month-long investigation by The Ditch has uncovered US government involvement in the illegal transport of munitions to the Middle East and Nato members through Irish sovereign airspace.
Transporting these F-35 parts over Ireland without permission from the Irish Minister for Transport is an indictable criminal offence under air navigation law.
The F-35 is “the most lethal” combat jet in the world, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Since at least November 2021 hundreds of civilian cargo flights originating from US Defense Logistics Agency facilities have transited through Irish airspace with critical parts for the fighter jet onboard.
They’ve travelled to military bases in Britain, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy and Greece – all Nato members – which have bought the Lockheed Martin jets.
During the same three-year period, dozens of other aircraft flying over Ireland carried F-35 components to Nevatim air base in Israel and the US Air Force camp at Isa air base in Bahrain.
The most recent flight identified by The Ditch was carrying F-35 components to Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands.
It went through Irish airspace this Monday on an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Amsterdam.
The supply of the American-made fighter jet is managed by the US government’s F-35 Joint Program Office, while the worldwide pool of parts used to maintain them is owned by the US Department of Defense.
Most F-35 components are kept in storage facilities at American military bases run by the US Defense Logistics Agency, as reported earlier today by Declassified UK in partnership with The Ditch and Dropsite News.
The US Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency and F-35 Joint Program Office declined to comment.
The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment.
