The White Paper provides for the replacement of the current Naval Service flagship LÉ Eithne with a multi role vessel (MRV). It is the Government’s intent that this new vessel will provide a flexible and adaptive capability for a wide range of maritime tasks, both at home and overseas.
The acquisition of a modern vessel will ensure that the operational capabilities of the Naval Service, as the State’s principal seagoing agency, are maintained to the greatest extent and takes account of the overall policy approach in the White Paper on Defence.
Planning has commenced on this project and it is intended to hold a public tender competition in due course to cover the supply of the MRV. The design and configuration of the vessel, including the approach to helicopter flight operations, will be considered as part of the planning process. This procurement is, of course, subject to the availability of funding within the overall Defence capital funding envelope. The cost of the MRV will only be known once the tender competition is concluded.
