RescueRanger
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2008
- Messages
- 16,370
- Reaction score
- 244
- Country
- Location
13,497 views|Jul 13, 2020,08:06am EDT
Ireland’s Air Force Badly Needs Fighter Jets
Paul IddonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I write mostly about Middle East affairs, politics and history.
The Republic of Ireland has come to terms with the fact that it might need some jet fighters to patrol and defend its highly vulnerable airspace.
In June, the Irish government released a new investment strategy document for its defense forces. The document said that “future projects at a preplanning stage” might include “air combat interceptors.”
Talk in Ireland of potentially acquiring fighter jets in the future comes amid intrusions into Irish airspace by long-range Russian Air Force Tu-95 ‘Bear’ bombers in recent years.
Moscow is likely choosing to violate Irish airspace since its one of the most, if not the most, poorly defended countries in Europe. When Ireland does find its airspace being violated, it has to rely on Royal Air Force jets tracking the Russian planes and intercepting them if necessary.
A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon intercepts a[+]
U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
As recently as last March, six RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled from eastern England and northeast Scotland to intercept Tu-95 bombers flying in northwestern Irish airspace. It’s important to note, however, that the bombers did not violate Ireland’s sovereign airspace, which would have been a much more serious and provocative action.
Nevertheless, while Russian planes would most likely never actually attack or threaten Ireland, their continued penetrations into Irish airspace does constitute an affront to the island nation’s sovereignty.
Irish airspace is critical to the wider European continent’s and the U.K.’s security since a huge amount of the transatlantic air traffic crosses through Irish airspace.
Consequently, there is always the fear that an airliner could be hijacked by terrorists over Irish airspace and threaten other nearby countries before being intercepted.
That scenario is much more worrying than Russian bombers probing Irish airspace.
In recent years, the Irish republic reportedly reached a secret agreement with the U.K. under which RAF jets are authorized to enter Irish airspace under certain circumstances, most likely in the event that a hijacked plane flies over Ireland.
However, relying on the RAF and giving its jets prompt access to Irish airspace in an emergency would arguably not be preferable to having more advanced radars in Ireland closely monitoring its skies and Dublin having at least a minimal intercept capability of its own.
The cost would certainly be a highly significant factor in Dublin’s consideration for buying jets. While it might not meet the suggested requirement of 16 fighter jets anytime soon, any procurement of jet fighters would be a major improvement for Ireland’s air force capabilities.
While modern fighters like RAF Eurofighter Typhoons or French Dassault Rafales would likely prove far too expensive for Ireland, it may find that the Swedish-built Saab Gripen might be suited for its needs given its comparatively low price for a highly formidable 4.5-generation fighter jet.
Military analyst Robert Farley recently gave a good overview of the Gripen’s capabilities. Many of his points aptly demonstrate how the fighter could meet Ireland’s fighter jet requirements.
A Saab JAS 39 Gripen performs during an aerial[+]
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
For one, there is the cost. The Gripen is estimated to cost less than $60 million per plane, very low for a jet fighter with its capabilities.
Then there is the maintenance and relative ease of use. Ireland hasn’t had any experience with operating jet fighters in decades, meaning training, learning to operate and maintaining any new fighter will all be essential factors for it to consider when choosing a jet.
The Gripen has the lowest operational cost of any fighter of its generation. Its controls are relatively easy, making it pilot friendly, another important factor considering Ireland will have to train a considerable number of fighter pilots.
The Swedish jet might also be worth the investment for Dublin since it will likely remain a formidable, up-to-date jet fighter for years to come. As Farley notes, the jet’s “‘software first’ approach has made upgrades easy and affordable compared to the rest of the market, where improvements are notoriously expensive.”
And finally, the jet is by most accounts a highly formidable interceptor, capable of reaching Mach 2 and also has an impressive range of 1,500 km (about 930 miles). The distance between Dublin and Ireland’s second city, Cork, is a mere 160 miles meaning the jet could reach any part of Irish airspace quite quickly.
Regardless of whether or not Ireland decides the Gripen will fulfill its acknowledged need for fighter jets in the near future, one shouldn’t expect to see any new jets bearing the Irish Air Corps’ green white and orange insignia patrolling the republic’s airspace for the foreseeable future.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2020/07/13/irelands-air-force-badly-needs-fighter-jets/amp/
Ireland’s Air Force Badly Needs Fighter Jets
Paul IddonContributor
Aerospace & Defense
I write mostly about Middle East affairs, politics and history.
The Republic of Ireland has come to terms with the fact that it might need some jet fighters to patrol and defend its highly vulnerable airspace.
In June, the Irish government released a new investment strategy document for its defense forces. The document said that “future projects at a preplanning stage” might include “air combat interceptors.”
Talk in Ireland of potentially acquiring fighter jets in the future comes amid intrusions into Irish airspace by long-range Russian Air Force Tu-95 ‘Bear’ bombers in recent years.
Moscow is likely choosing to violate Irish airspace since its one of the most, if not the most, poorly defended countries in Europe. When Ireland does find its airspace being violated, it has to rely on Royal Air Force jets tracking the Russian planes and intercepting them if necessary.
A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon intercepts a[+]
U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENSE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
As recently as last March, six RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled from eastern England and northeast Scotland to intercept Tu-95 bombers flying in northwestern Irish airspace. It’s important to note, however, that the bombers did not violate Ireland’s sovereign airspace, which would have been a much more serious and provocative action.
Nevertheless, while Russian planes would most likely never actually attack or threaten Ireland, their continued penetrations into Irish airspace does constitute an affront to the island nation’s sovereignty.
Irish airspace is critical to the wider European continent’s and the U.K.’s security since a huge amount of the transatlantic air traffic crosses through Irish airspace.
Consequently, there is always the fear that an airliner could be hijacked by terrorists over Irish airspace and threaten other nearby countries before being intercepted.
That scenario is much more worrying than Russian bombers probing Irish airspace.
In recent years, the Irish republic reportedly reached a secret agreement with the U.K. under which RAF jets are authorized to enter Irish airspace under certain circumstances, most likely in the event that a hijacked plane flies over Ireland.
However, relying on the RAF and giving its jets prompt access to Irish airspace in an emergency would arguably not be preferable to having more advanced radars in Ireland closely monitoring its skies and Dublin having at least a minimal intercept capability of its own.
The cost would certainly be a highly significant factor in Dublin’s consideration for buying jets. While it might not meet the suggested requirement of 16 fighter jets anytime soon, any procurement of jet fighters would be a major improvement for Ireland’s air force capabilities.
While modern fighters like RAF Eurofighter Typhoons or French Dassault Rafales would likely prove far too expensive for Ireland, it may find that the Swedish-built Saab Gripen might be suited for its needs given its comparatively low price for a highly formidable 4.5-generation fighter jet.
Military analyst Robert Farley recently gave a good overview of the Gripen’s capabilities. Many of his points aptly demonstrate how the fighter could meet Ireland’s fighter jet requirements.
A Saab JAS 39 Gripen performs during an aerial[+]
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
For one, there is the cost. The Gripen is estimated to cost less than $60 million per plane, very low for a jet fighter with its capabilities.
Then there is the maintenance and relative ease of use. Ireland hasn’t had any experience with operating jet fighters in decades, meaning training, learning to operate and maintaining any new fighter will all be essential factors for it to consider when choosing a jet.
The Gripen has the lowest operational cost of any fighter of its generation. Its controls are relatively easy, making it pilot friendly, another important factor considering Ireland will have to train a considerable number of fighter pilots.
The Swedish jet might also be worth the investment for Dublin since it will likely remain a formidable, up-to-date jet fighter for years to come. As Farley notes, the jet’s “‘software first’ approach has made upgrades easy and affordable compared to the rest of the market, where improvements are notoriously expensive.”
And finally, the jet is by most accounts a highly formidable interceptor, capable of reaching Mach 2 and also has an impressive range of 1,500 km (about 930 miles). The distance between Dublin and Ireland’s second city, Cork, is a mere 160 miles meaning the jet could reach any part of Irish airspace quite quickly.
Regardless of whether or not Ireland decides the Gripen will fulfill its acknowledged need for fighter jets in the near future, one shouldn’t expect to see any new jets bearing the Irish Air Corps’ green white and orange insignia patrolling the republic’s airspace for the foreseeable future.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauliddon/2020/07/13/irelands-air-force-badly-needs-fighter-jets/amp/
