A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the capabilities of the Defence Forces are maintained, developed and enhanced in order to ensure that the Defence Forces can carry out all of the roles assigned to it by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.
Following the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022, which included a wide range of recommendations in relation to capabilities and funding, the Government approved a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission.
One of the Early Actions identified in the High Level Action Plan published in response to the Commission’s report, was to commence planning for military radar capabilities, which includes ground based air defence, maritime and primary radar systems. In response to that, a project team, comprising senior civil and military personnel, was established and commenced work on planning for military radar capabilities. Work that has been carried out to date includes identification of requirements and research into various delivery options, as well as consideration of approaches internationally. This has included a visit to another Member State.
This is a complex programme of work and will take some time to deliver. We are not at the acquisition stage, which would be the final phase in the capability development process and, as such, while planning is still ongoing it would be premature to speculate on timeframes, cost projections and the procurement strategy to be followed. However, delivery of military radar is a key capability priority for me as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence and I am determined to ensure its delivery within the earliest practicable timeframe.
