Industrie lourde et militaire
Ireland to buy hundreds of French armoured vehicles under military modernisation plan
Move will significantly expand capabilities of Irish Army to conduct on-island defence
Ireland is to buy hundreds of new armoured vehicles and artillery pieces from France, a move that will significantly expand the capabilities of the Irish Army to conduct on-island defence.
The planned deal, which is expected to be worth up to €600 million, will involve the biggest investment in Army equipment in the history of the State.
It is part of a military modernisation programme that also involves acquiring a primary radar system to monitor Irish airspace, new sonar technology and new aircraft and ships to protect subsea infrastructure.
Many of these contracts are going to French arms manufacturers. Preliminary arrangements are already in place to acquire radar and sonar systems from French military suppliers.
The new armour programme will transform the Irish Army from a light infantry force, with limited armoured elements, to a largely mechanised force equipped with modern armour and heavier weaponry.
Last week, French media reported the total cost of the deal will approach €1 billion and involve 400 vehicles. However, sources said the true cost will be €500 million-€600 million, involving between 200 and 300 vehicles.
The new vehicles will replace the Defence Forces’ ageing fleet of 80 Swiss-made Mowag armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
It will also replace vehicles that have already been retired, such as the British-made FV101 light tank and the light-armoured tactical vehicles acquired from South Africa.
The new equipment will be acquired through a “government to government” agreement with France. The vehicles themselves are manufactured by the French defence giants Thales and KNDS.
The agreement is statement of intent, rather than a completed deal. Ireland has yet to commit to purchase any of the vehicles, the Department of Defence said.
It will involve purchasing a family of vehicles developed under France’s Scorpion Programme, which was launched in 2014 to modernise the French armoured fleet.
Scorpion “is currently the only available programme capable of delivering the full range of capabilities required”, the department said.
The programme relies on selling large numbers of the vehicles to overseas customers to keep individual unit costs as low as possible. Ireland will be among the first customers for the programme, with Belgium and Luxembourg already signing contracts.
“Working directly with a trusted partner like France allows us to reduce risk, benefit from proven expertise, and ensure our forces have reliable, interoperable equipment for the future,” said Minister for Defence Helen McEntee.
Vehicles to be acquired under the proposed deal will include the Griffon, a six-wheel APC; the Serval which is a smaller four-wheeled armoured car; and the Jaguar, a tank-like “armoured fighting vehicle” equipped with a large turreted gun.
The Defence Forces will also acquire the MEPAC, a derivate of the Griffon capable of firing 120mm mortars.
The exact numbers and configurations of the vehicles remain to be decided.
In addition, the planned deal will include the purchase of the Caesar artillery system. This is a 155mm gun mounted on an armoured vehicle that is capable of hitting targets 55km away.
It is the first time the Irish Army will have such a capability.
Large numbers of Caesars have been donated to Ukraine by France since Russia’s invasion in 2022 and it has developed a reputation as a highly capable platform.
The new vehicles signify a renewed focus for the Defence Forces on building up on-island capabilities.
No small state can defend itself alone, said Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Rossa Mulcahy shortly after taking up the role last year.
“But we have to be able to provide a defence to repel any initial invasion and then look for support from partners under the EU or under the UN banner,” he said.
“That’s the same for any small country. Every sovereign country has to be able to defend itself.”
The new vehicles will also allow the Defence Forces to deploy more unstable peacekeeping missions that require greater troop protection and firepower.
The vehicles will be delivered in stages over the course of several years.
The Defence Forces’ existing Mowags have just undergone a midlife refit, at a cost of €95 million, to extend their operational life out to 2030.
It is expected these APCs will be moved into a reserve and training role as the new vehicles come online.
The department said the cost of the new armour programme will be met from the €1.7 billion defence commitment in the 2026-2030 National Development Plan (NDP).
However, it is not clear if NDP funds will be enough to complete the purchase. Other projects under the NDP include the primary radar system, which will cost upwards of €500 million, and the modernisation of air and naval fleets.