Ireland’s Air Corps is awaiting the delivery of a Dassault Falcon 6X jet for government transport duties, which will replace the currently operated Learjet 45. In addition, the Irish are expecting the delivery and entry into service of Airbus H145 multirole helicopters, which will replace the smaller H135s. A significant new development is the announcement of a plan to acquire eight medium-category multirole transport helicopters. In this case, this refers to a project to procure successors to the six Leonardo AW139s, the Republic of Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to purchase and introduce rotorcraft of this type into service. They are now approaching twenty years of operation; beyond supporting other units of the Defence Forces, they are frequently used by other public order and emergency services in the country.
One of the projects involves the acquisition of eight new medium-category transport helicopters to replace the AW139 / Photo: Defence Forces of the Republic of Ireland
In the maritime domain, Dublin plans to modernize the Samuel Beckett–class patrol vessels, including the installation of sonar systems (including a towed sonar module). This is intended to enhance Ireland’s ability to secure its maritime zone, which in recent years has been exposed to the risk of underwater infiltration.
The Samuel Beckett–class patrol vessels are to be fitted with towed sonar systems
The land component is awaiting the implementation of a modernization and service life extension program for 80 Piranha III wheeled armored personnel carriers, as well as the acquisition of new armored vehicles under the AFR (Armoured Fleet Replacement) program. In addition, Dublin intends to procure unmanned aerial platforms and a new generation of military radios. A separate project, valued at approximately 19 million EUR, involves the emergency procurement of systems intended to counter UAS threats; this project has been assigned high priority due to the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming presidency of the European Union in 2026. Furthermore, next year is expected to mark the start of deliveries and the commissioning of new air surveillance radar stations, which are intended to enhance the situational awareness of personnel of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Ireland.