Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 May 2024
101. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on the current fleet of armoured personnel carriers; the year they were acquired; the number of which have completed mid-life retrofit; his plans to acquire new or additional APCs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19716/24]
View answerMy priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) processes.
Further additions to the EDP are currently under consideration, including in the context of the Government’s decision to move to a higher level of ambition, known as LOA2, and in light of specific recommendations, associated with a move to LOA2, made in the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces last year.
The Defence Forces operate a fleet of 80 MOWAG Piranha III Armoured Fighting Vehicles, providing essential force protection to personnel serving overseas. The fleet is comprised of 53 Infantry Armoured People Carriers, 18 Cavalry Close Reconnaissance Vehicles, 6 Cavalry Medium Reconnaissance Vehicles and 3 Ambulance Variant Vehicles. The vehicles came into service in three phases, in 2002 (40 vehicles), 2004 (25 vehicles) and 2007 (15 vehicles). In recent years there has been significant investment in the armoured fleet of vehicles with the enhancement of force protection and mobility with the mid-life refit of the MOWAG Piranha III vehicles project nearing completion. To date 74 of the 80 vehicles have completed the Midlife Upgrade Programme and have returned to service. The final six vehicles are expected to complete the programme later this year. This programme will ensure the viability of the fleet beyond 2030.
Following the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022, the Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2). This will entail funding increases to reach a Defence budget of approximately €1.5 billion (at January 2022 prices) by 2028 through the annual Estimates.
This level of capital funding will allow a phased planned programme of sustained equipment and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as identified and prioritised in the Defence White Paper and the Report of the Commission, while building on the significant investment programme over recent years.
A key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces which has been accepted in principle is the “replacement of the existing APCs with a larger and enhanced fleet equipped with sufficient firepower for future overseas missions, and with ‘level 4’ armour across armour platforms where required”.
The Detailed Implementation Plan released in November 2023 builds on the progress made to date and sets out the planned timeline for Armoured Fleet Replacement by 2028. It is important to note that specific timelines for projects for the enhancement of capabilities can be impacted by many factors from procurement strategy to external factors such as the internal defence market and the global, regional and local trends affecting it and accordingly require a flexible and adaptable approach.
A joint civil / military project team are continuing their work of research into various delivery options as well as consideration of approaches internationally with the objective of learning from best practice. Governance structures to manage this programme of work are also in place. Significant progress has been made to date at the early stages of this project.
