Irish report recommends new combat aircraft squadron, 12 ships by 2040
The Commission on the Defence Forces has recommended a AW139 replacement acquisition. (Photo: Irish Defence Forces)
A wide-ranging report on the state of Irish defence capabilities has proposed that Dublin invests in more modern equipment, especially across the air and sea domains.
A newly released report from the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF) has called on the Irish government to invest in the acquisition of a combat aircraft squadron as part of a national Air Defence Plan.
The report also recommends that Dublin prioritises spending on a medium-lift helicopter procurement to replace a fleet of Leonardo AW139s and add ‘two fixed-wing aircraft with strategic reach capability,’ while also continuing to ‘further develop’ RPAS capabilities.
If actioned, the move to acquire and operate combat jets would represent a huge shift in capability improvement and overall defence ambitions for Ireland, which has been
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds]()
Companies post mostly rosy results but warn of potential dark clouds
First quarter 2025 results have been dropping for companies in the past week but many of the US results come with a health warning in their forward-looking aspects about the potential impact of actions by the Trump administration.
-
![New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia]()
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
-
![UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”]()
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
![Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees]()
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
![Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market]()
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
