Fighter jets for the Air Corps?

Just read a summary there and about to give it a listen.

Disgusting revelations.

And no Typhoons thanks, absolute money pits.

second lieutenants start off on 32K plus a 5.5K allowance. Pay for a 1st lieutenant is up to to 47K plus allowances. captains start at 48K and go up to to 60K plus allowances. No idea where you got 29,850 from. that is closer to a sargeant's pay.

if you are interested in information on pilot retention you can start here

interesting read

Sod the challenge, its a duty. Don't you think they'd rather be operating in a safe environment than in a conflict zone, on a long tour? Like every job, variety is limited after a while.

Its not like flying Ryanair 738s back and forth to Beauvais is going to be a thrill a minute.

As for manpower, well, there may come a time where the needs of the State outweigh the vagaries of the economy and the jobs market and some sort of national service may need to be introduced.

Irish Air Corp pilots take 15 months to get their wings. where are you getting 4 years from?

Like putting Karen and her 6 kids in their 'forever home'!!!! 🙄

Interesting ball park figures for for costs.

Croatia buys second hand Rafales from France (France24.com)

Croatia on Thursday signed a deal to buy 12 French Rafale fighter jets worth nearly 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) that officials said will considerably strengthen its air force amid lingering tensions in the Balkans.

The contract for the used combat aircraft was signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Croatia. It was the first visit by France’s head of state to Croatia since it split from the former Yugoslav federation in the 1991-95 war.

“The purchase of the planes strategically is what we see as a game changer for Croatia,” Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at a joint press conference with Macron after the signing ceremony.

“This will not only give us the ability to avert those who have any aspirations toward our territory but also to become the so-called exporters of security … of stability in southeastern Europe,” he said.

I know Croatia has its own infrastructure already, having operated MiG-21s from the Soviet era, but in terms of getting a modern fast jet force it is a good guide.

Realistically any of the 4.5 gen are "too much firepower for what we need", given that we aren't ever likely to deploy them out of the country offensively. But then we return to the usual "what if we buy a trainer and use it as a fighter" argument.

There is a major push on that SAR gig by a number of indos but I doubt it will happen. Certain Ministers have already taken a good photo opportunity in the S-92. Completely agree though, the level of staffing across the board is horrendously short. Its extremely naïve of the government to over look this.

They are very, very expensive nonetheless.

I know by firepower you mean capability as opposed to actual weapons load, but even at that, the Rafale is excessively complex for what we need, I think.

In the case of Greece and Croatia, they live cheek by jowl with historic aggressors and there are still active border disputes. Both are also NATO members, so there is an onus on interoperability and capability enhancement.

Its hard to look past the F-16 and a Gripen lease option, but the more I look at the FA-50, the more I like it. A Mach 1.5 light attack/interceptor that carries all the modern ordnance.

KAI are courting the Slovak AF as a first EU customer, seeking to ink a deal for 10 units, with a view to shipping 1,000 units to Western countries in the next 20 years. We could do worse than to at least meet them following the CoDF.

Would they not have fore warning and meet them as they enter irish air space? Don't think it's ever really a straight chase really one would surly use assets in the expected flight path with some to the left and right of said path. They make a intercept model too I think?

We ever actually need something for a true deterrent and just policing well we a re probably fecked anyway. That's nothing against anyone that's just on a numbers game.