Interesting articles

Ah yeah I meant both weight and dimensions.

To illustrate, a Boxer unladen is 36 tons, fully loaded 38.5 tons. Whereas a Jaguar, the heaviest of the Scorpion trio, is 22 tons UL and 25 tons FL.

Its a hugely significant difference and probably not great in a country that gets so much rain. While for driving on public roads, the Boxer would exceed the maximum normal load for a 4-axle rigid chassis and the tonnes per metre ratio. In other words, every time they travelled they would require an abnormal load permit and escort.

Even if that were waived under a DF dispensation, the damage to frequently travelled minor roads, eg near bases and training grounds, would be enormous.

No.

In fact, you'd wonder how the European armies would fare with them on wintry battlefield in northeast Poland.

Suppose it depends, could just be the forces attached to the EU Battlegroup, assuming we've binned the Triple Lock as I don't see anyone wanting a UN Mission for Ukraine. In reality though getting the bodies/equipment for a credible force is going to stretch all the European nations, even the big spenders.

yep, as you say factor in rotations, training, unplanned replacements and at least 250k of people are needed, if not 300k. That’s why if it does end up with the US having Europe do it, everyone of the nations should drop any “Pacific tilt” crap and tell the US to go to hell if it asks for any out of Europe support.

Interesting article from John Dowling in the Indo about some of the conversations he's had with figures in Brussels on our "stance"…

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/john-downing-eu-may-turn-blind-eye-to-our-neutrality-but-ignoring-national-defence-is-not-on/a1156525291.html

i can see the IDA having a word with there overlords about this.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0219/1497521-us-senator-defence

The good Senator is just looking to send us an invoice for services rendered. I wouldn't blame him.

https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20250218/281702620438806?srsltid=AfmBOorlnEMs1pyN6toAT8yvR8C2Ot5ieNoaDScUFTvTHt9yJ-0iHnX4

Irish Independent defence article mentioned earlier for those getting firewalled.

Delighted this chap has put his shoulder to the wheel!

To be fair, the allowances thing wouldn't be relevant if there was an actual deployment, not that its easier to explain how we are going to be able to supply anything other than a token formation as we currently are.

I see in The Guardian that BAe Systems Defence has an order book backlog of €94 Billion. They sold 30 Billion sterling of product last year and made 10% profit.

This is problem I see with our orders for big stuff. We're already a very long way down the queue.

It's hard to keep up; only last week the government were saying that current geopolitics has rendered the UN unfit for purpose and we need to start operating on our own remit. Now the UN is once again the only source of legitimacy!

Or as you say, a convenient excuse for not making any Irish commitment to anything.

Or the fact that the Triple Lock as is, is still the legal requirement for any deployment currently…

The DOD will be praying it was the Contractor at the helm

I don't think thats actually true anymore. With dwindling numbers, we had to pull out of Golan to staff the UNIFIL commitment. So I suspect it actually took a massive effort behind the scenes to get the correct mix of personnel for a combined battalion.

Given the robust mission that would be, by necessity, policing a peace in Ukraine, and if it began in the next 24 months, I think we would have real trouble putting together a properly equipped and staffed battalion for the theatre in question.

A force protection company or two, maybe. But a mechanised battalion, in the field, able for Russian drone skirmishes and thousands of mercenaries high as kites on the best Afghan? I don't think so.

Whatever way this shakes out, any mission in northern and eastern Ukraine will make UNIFIL look like a ride at Disneyland.