Irland. Beschaffung von Kampfflugzeugen

[muck]

In Irland geht es wohl vor allem um das liebe Geld. Immerhin hat die Regierung das RAP-fähige Radarsystem nicht rundheraus abgelehnt.

Witzig finde ich, welchen Stellenwert in dem Bericht auf social justice gelegt wird. Offenbar hat die irische Armee keine größeren Probleme. Das ist doch toll.

[Acipenser]

Aber Irland hat doch eine tolle eigen Air-line: Ryan Air, was brauchen die eine Airforce? nur das Gepäck sollte man bei DHL aufgeben! Das kommt billiger und DHL hat eigene Flugzeuge die ankommen, mit Packerln Sorry!

[theoderich]

Das Thema "Kampfflugzeuge" hat sich erledigt - die Regierung hat die Empfehlung der Kommission zurückgestellt und sie wird nicht umgesetzt (Wie jegliche Empfehlung, die in irgendeiner Weise mit Investitionen in Waffen und Ausrüstung zusammenhängt.):

High level action plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/519f7 ... ce-forces/

Erinnert an die "Sicherheitsmilliarde plus" des Herrn BM aD Doskozil.

[theoderich]

Irish DoD refuses to comment on primary radar procurement

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defe ... ocurement/

[theoderich]

Strategic Framework 2023

4. Enhancement of DF Capabilities: Progress made on each of the specific capability enhancements across all Services set out in the CoDF report including:

1. Military Radar;

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f3a9d ... work-2023/

Von Kampfflugzeugen ist auch weiterhin keine Rede.

[theoderich]

Ireland begins work on buying fighter jets and doubling the naval fleet

Ireland’s Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minster) and Defence Minister Simon Harris has instructed “groundwork” to begin on the possibility of buying fighter aircraft and doubling the size of the naval fleet.

The CoDF outlined three possible paths forward for the Irish Defence Force, Level of Ambition (LoA) 1 or the status quo, LoA 2 which would be substantial growth, and LoA 3 which includes a squadron of fighter aircraft and doubling of capability.

The new government formed earlier this year and the previous government, which was largely of the same make-up, committed to LoA 2. The new government noted the need to move.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/defe ... val-fleet/


Tánaiste presses Dept over acquisition of jets, radar (28. Februar 2025)

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has said he has instructed officials in the Department of Defence to prepare a more aggressive procurement strategy for acquiring new military capabilities for the Irish Defence Forces.

This includes the acquisition of interceptor jets, as well as radar and sonar capabilities.

Mr Harris was speaking after the opening of a new Defence Forces Cadet School in the Curragh, Co Kildare.

He said Ireland is proudly militarily neutral and there are no plans to change that, "but being militarily neutral does not allow you to recuse yourself from conversations about the appropriate levels of investment in defence and in security" for the State.

He said the Government already plans to spend €1.8 billion per annum in these areas by 2028, but the Programme for Government commits to going further to reach the highest level of spending outlined in a recent Defence Forces Commission report.

He said he has instructed the Department of Defence to begin to prepare the groundwork for that, in terms of assessing costs, military capabilities, infrastructure and personnel.

Mr Harris said radar and sonar capabilities which will allow the skies and seas to be monitored are priorities, and while developments will proceed in a stepped way, he said there will be more naval ships.

The Tánaiste also said he is convinced that a squadron of jet interceptors will also be needed as we now live in a very different geopolitical environment.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/02 ... abilities/


Costings sought for massive expansion of Irish military including purchase of fighter jets (28. Februar 2025)

Officials in the Department of Defence have been asked to cost a massive expansion of the Irish military, including the purchase of a squadron of jet fighters.

Shortly after taking office, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris instructed his officials to prepare a detailed breakdown of the financial implications of such an expansion.

In recent weeks, Mr Harris has repeatedly stated his desire to see Ireland’s defence budget, currently the lowest in the EU, increase three-fold in the years ahead.

Under the proposals, the Irish Naval Service, which will soon be renamed the Irish Navy, will operate 12 ships, double the fleet. This would give Ireland “a defensive conventional maritime warfighting capability”.

The Irish Air Corps, which will become the Irish Air Force, would acquire a squadron of aircraft capable of air combat and interception of airborne threats.

It would also involve a fleet of modern armoured vehicles for the Army, the establishment of a military intelligence school and a corps of 300 troops dedicated to cybersecurity.

All combat forces would be fully interoperable to Nato standards.

The move would be significantly more ambitious than the current Government commitment to increase defence spending by 50 per cent by 2028, one of the recommendations laid out by the Commission on the Defence Forces in its 2022 report.

This goal is termed Level of Ambition 2. Officials have now been asked to make preliminary plans to move past Level of Ambition 2 once it is achieved and on to Level of Ambition 3, which, according to the commission, would involve a defence budget of €3 billion.

This would bring Ireland’s defence spending to 1.4 per cent of gross national income, roughly in line with other small EU countries.

The commission contains rough cost estimates for such a military expansion, but it is understood Mr Harris wants more concrete numbers, taking factors such as inflation into account.

Defence sources stressed it will not be possible to move to Level of Ambition 3 before hitting Level of Ambition 2.

“The Defence Forces can’t absorb that much change at once,” said a senior military source. “It is already undergoing a massive programme of reform.”

For example, a primary military radar to detect airborne threats, something being worked on under Level of Ambition 2, would be required before any move could be made to purchase jet interceptors.

Sources also underlined the massive investment in infrastructure and training required to operate a combat air force.

“For every pilot in a plane you probably need at least 40 highly trained people on the ground in support,” said a senior officer. “One shouldn’t underestimate the scale of the task.”

Ambitions will also be dependent on attracting enough people into the Defence Forces and acquiring the necessary military equipment at a time when much of Europe is also rearming.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said reaching Level of Ambition 3 will “inevitably require a very significant increase in investment in the Defence Forces, not least in terms of the number of personnel required across the three services”.

They said the Government’s immediate objective is to reach Level of Ambition 2 before moving as quickly as possible to the third phase “with commensurate investment”.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025 ... hter-jets/