Ireland is to buy hundreds of new armoured vehicles and artillery pieces from France, a move that will significantly expand the capabilities of the Irish Army to conduct on-island defence.
The planned deal, which is expected to be worth up to €600 million, will involve the biggest investment in Army equipment in the history of the State.
The new armour programme will transform the Irish Army from a light infantry force, with limited armoured elements, to a largely mechanised force equipped with modern armour and heavier weaponry.
Last week, French media reported the total cost of the deal will approach €1 billion and involve 400 vehicles. However, sources said the true cost will be €500 million-€600 million, involving between 200 and 300 vehicles.
The new vehicles will replace the Defence Forces’ ageing fleet of 80 Swiss-made Mowag armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
It will also replace vehicles that have already been retired, such as the British-made FV101 light tank and the light-armoured tactical vehicles acquired from South Africa.
The new equipment will be acquired through a “government to government” agreement with France. The vehicles themselves are manufactured by the French defence giants Thales and KNDS.
The agreement is statement of intent, rather than a completed deal. Ireland has yet to commit to purchase any of the vehicles, the Department of Defence said.
It will involve purchasing a family of vehicles developed under France’s Scorpion Programme, which was launched in 2014 to modernise the French armoured fleet.
Scorpion “is currently the only available programme capable of delivering the full range of capabilities required”, the department said.
“Working directly with a trusted partner like France allows us to reduce risk, benefit from proven expertise, and ensure our forces have reliable, interoperable equipment for the future,” said Minister for Defence Helen McEntee.
Vehicles to be acquired under the proposed deal will include the Griffon, a six-wheel APC; the Serval which is a smaller four-wheeled armoured car; and the Jaguar, a tank-like “armoured fighting vehicle” equipped with a large turreted gun.
The Defence Forces will also acquire the MEPAC, a derivate of the Griffon capable of firing 120mm mortars.
The exact numbers and configurations of the vehicles remain to be decided.
In addition, the planned deal will include the purchase of the Caesar artillery system. This is a 155mm gun mounted on an armoured vehicle that is capable of hitting targets 55km away.
It is the first time the Irish Army will have such a capability.
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026 ... book_ImageThe new vehicles will also allow the Defence Forces to deploy more unstable peacekeeping missions that require greater troop protection and firepower.
The vehicles will be delivered in stages over the course of several years.
The Defence Forces’ existing Mowags have just undergone a midlife refit, at a cost of €95 million, to extend their operational life out to 2030.
It is expected these APCs will be moved into a reserve and training role as the new vehicles come online.
The department said the cost of the new armour programme will be met from the €1.7 billion defence commitment in the 2026-2030 National Development Plan (NDP).
However, it is not clear if NDP funds will be enough to complete the purchase. Other projects under the NDP include the primary radar system, which will cost upwards of €500 million, and the modernisation of air and naval fleets.
Des Jaguar et des Serval bientôt dans la campagne irlandaise (21. Februar 2026)
C’est clairement une surprise de taille. Car l’Irlande ne faisait pas partie jusqu’ici des grands clients de l’industrie d’armement française. Pour preuve, en dix ans (2015-2024), le pays de la Guinness a royalement commandé pour 53,1 millions d’euros de systèmes d’armes « Made in France ».
Selon des sources concordantes, Dublin devrait très rapidement passer une commande à KNDS France en vue d’acquérir plusieurs centaines de véhicules blindés (jusqu’à 400 véhicules) en vue de renouveler avant 2030 une flotte vieillissante composée de véhicules datant des années 1990/2000 (Piranha III de l’américain General Dynamic et RG-32M du sud-africain Denel). Une flotte coûteuse de plus en difficile à maintenir.
L’Irlande s’intéresse principalement aux Jaguar (blindés de reconnaissance et de combat) et aux Serval (Blindés multi-rôle légers) mais aussi à quelques Griffon (transport de troupes multi-rôles) et à des systèmes d’artillerie Caesar. Soit une commande découpée en plusieurs tranches et évaluée à plus de 1 milliard d’euros au total.
https://www.latribune.fr/article/la-tri ... nds-franceLe contrat pourrait être officialisé lors d'une visite à Dublin de la ministre des Armées Catherine Vautrin en cours de préparation. Une fenêtre de tir semble se dessiner fin mars, début avril, selon des sources concordantes. L’Irlande va devoir accélérer pour pouvoir contractualiser dans les temps cette expression de besoins. D’autant que Dublin souhaite signer ce contrat dans le cadre d’un accord G to G (de gouvernement à gouvernement) avec Paris tout en s’inspirant du modèle de contractualisation CAMO mis en place entre la France et la Belgique (mêmes véhicules, même doctrine d’emploi, même organisation d’unités, même architecture numérique).
Irland hat von 2015 bis 2024 in Frankreich Rüstungsgüter für lediglich 53,1 Mio. EUR bestellt. Nun steht die Unterzeichnung eines Vertrags für ein Regierungsgeschäft zum Kauf von bis zu vierhundert EBRC "Jaguar", VBMR-L "Serval (diese zwei Fahrzeuge dürften den Großteil der Bestellung ausmachen), einige VBMR "Griffon" und Artilleriesysteme CAESAR bevor. Diese sollen die "Piranha 3" und RG-32M der IDF ersetzen. Der Auftrag soll sich in mehrere Tranchen aufteilen und einen Gesamtwert von über 1 Mrd. EUR haben. Er könnte anlässlich eines Irland-Besuchs der französischen Verteidigungsministerin offiziell gemacht und, gemäß übereinstimmenden Quellen, Ende März/Anfang April unterzeichnet werden.
Defence Forces retires ‘disastrous’ armoured fleet as it looks to French replacements
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026 ... lacements/The Defence Forces quietly retired its fleet of 27 light armoured vehicles after they proved to be “disastrous” in the field.
The South African-made light tactical armoured vehicles (LTAVs) saw infrequent operational use after being acquired in 2010, due in part to many technical issues.
This is despite being deployed on missions in the Middle East and Africa, and being used as part of Ireland’s previous contribution to the EU Battlegroup
Mileage figures provided under Freedom of Information legislation show the vehicles recorded low mileage during their 15-year lifetime. One vehicle drove an annual average of 540km, the rough equivalent of one full fuel tank a year.
Military experts say there are important lessons to be learned from what one called the LTAV “debacle” as the Government dramatically steps up military spending.
One of the biggest planned purchases, which could amount to €500 million, is a fleet of new vehicles to replace the LTAVs and complement the Defence Forces’s 80-strong fleet of Mowag armoured personnel carriers.
As Ireland strengthens its military, one country and company gain the most
A group set up by the Department of Defence and Defence Forces is understood to be expected to recommend a French-made family of three armoured vehicles called the Jaguar, Serval and Griffon.
Requirements for the new vehicles include “level four” armour that can stop high-calibre rounds and the ability to be fitted with mortar systems.
The LTAVs, known as RG32M Outriders, were purchased in 2009 from the now defunct BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa for just under €20 million or €726,000 each. They out-performed similar vehicles from Switzerland and Italy in Irish field tests.
They were designed to serve as an intermediary option for situations judged too dangerous for soft-skinned vehicles but not necessitating an armoured personnel carrier (APC).
The Irish Defence Forces was among the first militaries to purchase the vehicles. Irish officials had them heavily customised and ordered them in several variants, including reconnaissance versions and versions equipped with remote control grenade launchers.
Ten were to be kept on the island for training and 17 were to be deployed overseas to peacekeeping missions.
Problems with the vehicles were evident from the start. Users reported severe reliability and maintenance issues including electrical connections not matching up and driveshafts shearing off.
Reliability issues meant officers frequently refused to deploy them on patrols in Lebanon and other potentially dangerous areas. One military source said a LTAV deployed to Unifil in Lebanon remained consigned to base for an uninterrupted 18-month period.
The acquisition in 2017 of 24 armoured utility vehicles (AUVs) further reduced the need for the LTAVs. The AUVs, which are essentially armoured versions of civilian Toyota Land Cruisers, proved much more reliable and popular in the field.
The LTAVs have yet to be officially withdrawn from service but all have now been consigned to storage in Ireland. By contrast, the Defence Forces Mowag APCs, which were first acquired in 1999, are expected to remain in service past 2030, having recently undergone a mid-life refit.
Some of the Irish vehicles recorded lifetime mileages generally expected of a military vehicle. For example, the most heavily used LTAV travelled 32,535km over 14 years or just over 2,000km a year.
However, nine LTAVs travelled less than 1,250km a year, with one travelling just 540km a year.
“They were a bit of a running joke,” said one military source.
“The problem was they bought an immature platform which had not been vetted in the field by bigger militaries. Then they started adding loads on to them, which made them more complicated and less reliable.”
Former TD and Army Ranger wing commandant Cathal Berry said the LTAVs were “a disaster” and their purchase offered valuable lessons as Ireland looks at spending hundreds of millions on military equipment in the coming years.
“In terms of lessons learned, we’re looking for reliability, sustainability and operational capability. As well as speed mobility and firepower,” he said.
“Cost is a factor but not the dominant factor. The dominant factor is the effectiveness of the vehicle.”
French companies make sense due to their reputation and proximity to Ireland, said Mr Berry.
“And there is obviously a major concern about buying anything American at the moment for fear the contracts could be torn up.”
A Defence Forces spokesman defended the LTAV’s track record.
“They have been deployed on multiple UN and EU peace support missions, where their combination of mobility, protection and adaptability has proven particularly valuable in complex and austere environments,” he said.
“The LTAV fleet enhanced the Defence Forces’s ability to operate safely and effectively in contemporary operational theatres, reinforcing Ireland’s contribution to international peacekeeping while also strengthening national operational readiness.”
Bae Systems, the former owner of the company, and Denel, which subsequently purchased it, did not respond to a request for comment.
