We need to invest in education, not military jets

Seán O’Riordan (Irish Examiner, February 11) gave us an introduction to the world of military aerospace finance as applied to the schoolyard. 

The extended article suggests we should simply pop out, purchase a few fast jets and radar sets and provide ourselves with deterrent capability to keep Soviet bombers out of our airspace, for a mere €80 million.

I’m afraid Seán has been listening to the Air Corp and its friends.

No mention is made of the never ending; armament costs, the contract costs for engines/airframe/weapons/software maintenance, the cost of training and trainer aircraft, the salary costs of additional pilots and ground crew, the capital costs of maintenance facilities and the ongoing recapitalisation of aging aircraft.

Cash would flow out of this country every year, away from education and health, to support this.

Paul O’Sullivan

Eglantine

Douglas,

Cork