Simon Coveney to unveil 10-year military blueprint today

A plan for the development of the Defence Forces in the next 10 years will be launched today by Minister for Defence Simon Coveney and part of it will include the development of a mentoring programme for young adults from disadvantaged areas.

It is expected Mr Coveney will announce a modernisation programme for equipment with a caveat that some procurement will depend on additional funding being made available from the Government.

In recent years the Naval Service has been given priority, with two new ships worth €140m being delivered and a third on the way. It’s understood Mr Coveney will commit to continuing the replacement programme, particularly with larger vessels which will allow the navy greater scope in carrying out more overseas missions, especially following its successful humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean Sea.