Ireland to spend €1.7bn on defence equipment in four years

Increased budget to buy a range of items from radar and sonar systems to aircraft and combat vehicles

Foreign affairs and defence minister Helen McEntee launching the Irish Defence Forces sectoral National Development Plan at the Curragh Camp. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

A 55% increase in capital spending will see €1.7bn spent on defence equipment between now and 2030.

Foreign affairs and defence minister Helen McEntee announced on Thursday the multi-annual investment rising from €300m in 2026 to €360m in 2029–2030 in her department's National Development Plan sectoral plan which aims to deliver major capability upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.

The headline of the investment is the full delivery of the military radar programme by 2028 as well as the modernisation of the air corps which will include the purchase of four Airbus H145M helicopters, progress on acquiring eight 'super medium helicopters', delivery of a new Falcon 6X government jet, and replacement of the existing PC-9M fleet by 2030.

Among the items on the Department of Defence shopping list is the upgrade of the army's 80 Mowag Piranha III vehicles. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins 

There will be naval service upgrades including towed array sonar — which will enable Irish ships at sea to monitor the subsurface space within our maritime area — and army capability improvements, including the upgrade of 80 Mowag Piranha III vehicles, progression of the armoured fleet replacement, acquisition of drones, and the rollout of software defined radios.

The air corps plans a number of investments including the purchase of four Airbus H145M helicopters. Picture: Airbus.com

There will be a €400m investment in Defence Forces infrastructure, including accommodation, offices, gyms, aircraft hangars, and naval berthage, Ms McEntee said, along with €175m for IT, transport, engineering, and ordnance systems.

Ms McEntee said that "it's essential that we continue to increase our funding, our spending, and our focus on the Defence Forces".

"We all know the changing environment and world that we live in. We know the type of changing threats that are emerging and my focus and priority as minister for defence is to make sure the Defence Forces are growing, expending and we are enhancing capabilities."

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She said the spending will allow her department to achieve the goals laid out in the Commission on the Defence Forces report, published four years ago.

"This is building on the work that has been done in recent years. 

"If you look at the current spending as well in the last three years alone, that's increased by 40%. So we know what we need to do, we know what's in the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. We know how we need to get there, and that does require investment."