John Browne
Question:149 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Defence the number of armoured personnel carriers acquired for the Army; and the timeframe over which they will be purchased. [15086/01]
Written Answers. - Defence Forces Equipment.
Following a tender competition which was conducted in strict compliance with Government procurement procedures, a contract was signed on 30 November 1999 for the supply by Mowag of Switzerland of 40 armoured personnel carriers, APCs, initial spares, special tools and training courses.
The 40 vehicles, known as Piranha 8 x 8s, are being manufactured as 34 troop carrier variants, four command variants, one recovery variant and one ambulance variant. The total cost of the contract, which is spread over five years, is in the region of £40 million, including VAT.
The first two vehicles were produced at the end of 2000 and following rigorous inspection and acceptance testing procedures were officially handed over to me on 11 January 2001. Both vehicles remained in Switzerland to facilitate training of Defence Forces personnel.
The full production run has commenced. A total of six vehicles including the two vehicles handed over in January will be arriving in Ireland next month. All 40 APCs will have been delivered by January 2002, almost two years ahead of previous expectations.
I am delighted with the progress made on the APC programme. The purchase of the APCs forms an integral part of the ongoing re-equipment programme. The imminent arrival of the vehicles is a great boost for the Defence Forces.