An investigation has revealed that hundreds of US military flights over Ireland were not previously disclosed, raising fresh questions about transparency in official reporting.
Research led by The Irish Times identified at least 248 additional flights since last summer, involving a range of aircraft including transport planes, troop carriers, and surveillance missions.
The findings also highlight a sharp rise in activity, with US military overflights increasing by 56 percent last month. This surge coincided with a period of intensified US military operations against Iran, during which hundreds of strikes were carried out.
Ireland’s Foreign Ministry attributed the discrepancy to an administrative oversight. In response, the department reissued updated figures last week, covering the previous eight months and incorporating the previously omitted flights.
The ministry routinely publishes monthly data on foreign military aircraft crossing Irish airspace. Historically, US overflights have been estimated at between 30 and 50 per month. However, earlier official records suggested an unusually low figure of just two flights in September, now understood to be inaccurate.
Among the aircraft identified were C-130 transport planes, commonly used to move troops and military equipment.
Separately, authorities last week arrested a man in connection with an alleged attack on a similar aircraft after it landed at Shannon Airport, an incident that has drawn further attention to the presence of US military operations in Ireland.
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