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
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