A man has intruded into a restricted area at Shannon Airport and caused serious damage to a parked US military aircraft.
According to reports, the vandal, who is approximately 40 years old and whose identity has not yet been released, climbed onto the wing of a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft and used a sharp object to damage the wing and fuselage.
The aircraft, belonging to the US Air Force and valued at approximately $75 million, was parked at the airport when the incident occurred. Similar acts of public property destruction have caused millions of dollars in damage and led to serious legal consequences for suspects.
The incident caused airport operations to halt for nearly 30 minutes. The Garda Síochána subsequently arrested the suspect at the scene. This is not the first time airports have faced unauthorized entry into aircraft areas causing security disruptions.
Shannon Airport has long served as a transit and refueling point for US military aircraft, a practice that has sparked debate in Ireland regarding the country's neutrality policy. The fact that an individual could bypass security perimeters recalls cases where men intruding into restricted zones were stopped by authorities in the US recently.
The C-130 Hercules is used for various military missions. An aircraft of the same type was previously shot down in Iran and another crashed in Kuwait on April 5 during a rescue mission.
Currently, the specific extent of the damage has not been disclosed.
