Alan Farrell
Ceist:39. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on plans to develop primary radar systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57454/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 November 2022
Ceisteanna (39)
Freagraí scríofa
In response to the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, Government approved the commencement of work on 38 early actions which were identified in a High Level Action Plan that was published last July. One of the 38 early actions is to: “Commence planning for military radar capabilities, including primary radar”.
I can confirm that work on this early action is underway and is being carried out by a project team comprising senior civil and military personnel. The team has initially focussed on looking at identifying the military radar requirements, followed by research into various delivery options across the domains, as well as approaches to provision that are utilised internationally. In this regard, a visit to another Member State has already taken place.
It is important to note, however, that the the requirements for delivery of military radar, across the various domains, including primary radar, are extremely complex and, clearly, this project will take some time to deliver. However, delivery has been prioritised by Government and, for this reason, part of next year’s increased capital allocation for Defence includes provision of funding for exploration of the identified need to develop a primary radar capability. As such, I am pleased to say that the funding is in place to deliver all aspects of the necessary planning, thus ensuring that the Government’s prioritisation of this project is fully supported by the necessary resources.