Fighter jets for the Air Corps?

I’d be surprised if the AC was still using anything priced from then, in aviation 20 years is an entirety. I would have assumed if might have been internal work for the Commission?

Speaking of 9/11, I wonder what options were considered then before we did nothing?

I'm told there was a plan to purchase L39 from the Czech Republic (2nd hand) on the condition we purchased some new L159 ALCA. It would have given us the bare minimum in capability, but no more came of it, and we bought some 2nd hand L70 Bofors 40mm AA guns and linked Radar (Flycatcher) instead.

As for costings, I know the italians made a proposal to the CoDF for the M346.

It’s not like we couldn’t have afforded it then (or any time since the 90s), but very Bertie to stick us with marginal at best AA guns and think that solved the issue. I’ve often wondered if we had kept the budget in or around the 1% circa end of the Troubles what we would be looking at now in terms of what the DF would be?

I think we need to remember our own history and how our independence came about by force. Some of those who support neutrality, such as PBP, seem to do so from a pacifistic perspective, also opposing an increase in defence spending. Such an approach would leave Ireland defenceless in case of Russian or other aggression.

There is a danger of Ireland being used as a launchpad to attack the UK and other European neighbours. There is also a danger that the transatlantic telecommunication-cables are being mapped and mined by the Russian navy. There have been reports I heard recently on RTE Radio 1 that analysts believe Russia has mined essential infrastructure throughout Europe.

Isn't that where we are currently.

Nah, we aren’t even at a bare minimum at the moment, we have to work up to that.

What deal?

So to know about it, you must know about it, yeah?

You're so satisfied that this deal adequately protects our territory and interests, I'm assuming you know all about the details?

So instead of dismissing all the legitimate concerns of other posters here, tell us about what you know that we do not?

Share the reasons for your boundless confidence and self-satisfaction so that we too might see the light!

Because someone so smug could only be 'in the know'. Right?

I do wonder with the increased attention, just how long the current policy of denying any details on "National Security" is going to hold up to be honest? I mean at least it's going to come up next time Martin is before the Committee, what's he going to do, say "National Security" to every question?

Indeed, and that should be the least he does given it’s importance and the ambiguity around the whole thing, but so far there’s been no suggestion of such, when’s the next scheduled hearing I wonder?

The RAF Harriers had no radar, no long range Anti Air Missiles, slow (for interceptors), and short ranged. They are ground attack aircraft primarily. Only the Sea Harriers had radar. but had similar limitations. The US ones have Radar, but still aren't interceptors. Hence why they use the UK ones as parts bins for theirs. Its also one of the harder aircraft to fly. They just aren't suited to the current Irish requirement.

Brilliant aircraft though.

In a modern context its design compromised its speed and stealth potential and payload, going forward. There was a proposal for a "Super Harrier" but they ultimately went the F35 route instead.

Personally I think the Harrier still is a useful aircraft (not for Ireland). But they are shrinking fleets to put the money in fewer more advanced aircraft. Hence why they want to dump the A10 and F15 in the US.

@Mr Disco Harriers are really not that useful. For a start they cannot really do an interecpt. They are not that fast, a bit faster than the PC9s but intercept jets need to be really fast to catch up with the thing they are trying to catch. For instance, an unidentified aircraft travelling at 36,000 feet at 600 mph shows on Irish radar.Unless the aircraft is going to fly more or less over an Irish airbase then the interceptor must catch up with and intercept a plane travelling, possibly away from it at 600mph. As you can see the interceptor really needs to be at least capable of twice that speed to stand a fair chance of making the intercept. The only people to use it in such a role were the RN, but in this context it was to intercept aircraft flying to your ship, so speed is not so important when they are heading your way. But I agree, if Ireland is going to acquire fast combat jets they should be multi-role. But that means not just buying multirole aircraft, it means training multirole pilots, and different types of munitions. One of the big problems the RAF and other top tier airforces have is that they have multirole aircraft, but pilots only trained for one role, meaning their supposedly multi-role aircraft is not really able to function in that manner.