Fighter jets for the Air Corps?

Autocorrect on the mobile is a pita.

Now that the British are out of the EU,

the nearest UN / EU compatriots that would be obliged to help or could help us would be from where ?

Russia attacks from the West….., Spain, France, Portugal, a Scandinavian country or two to get a few jets here, ? You’d be talking an hour at best from the alarm ? By my guesstimating…. A lot of damage to be done ….

would the US and British mobilise support ? , likely given the relationships between each other and the self interests it would serve for them.

is it likely to be required, no…then again, the statement from Russia re: expelling diplomats that it “ won’t go unanswered “… is a threat, not a violent one but not diplomatic and nothing is clarified… why not just kick out the Irish ambassador to Russia, a higher tariff on Irish imports…?

“wont go unanswered” is not diplomatic , it’s a threat… not one likely to come to fruition but a threat, and what have we got ?…

people Qing to get into the country, and eight of these… with which to defend the entirety of it, and us… good luck with that…

No the Russian response is not a military threat, it’s a normal diplomatic response, most likely one of our staff in Moscow will be told to bugger off home and that will be that…

You don't seem to familiar with Russia.

https://twitter.com/umlandandreas/status/790286236078469120

First are you actually surprised by this article, there’s nothing new in it for anyone that has any interest in defence? Spoiler, we have never in the history of the state had the capability to control one defend our airspace, nor seas and never has the public given a shite. Mainly as the nation was so dirt poor through out that period and always because the politicians know there is feck all political value in spending on defence as the voters don’t care at best, hate it at worst. We all ready have some of our Left TDs screaming about defence spending and how that could be the solution to all other issues in the state instead, and voters will believe the likes of them.

Through the ‘90’s and up to about 2007 we were pretty damn well off.

what did we do with the money…, roads, some housing sure…. But in terms of doing anything for a bad day ? . tens of millions of funding for the GAA… but can’t defend the country ?…. Fûck all use spending millions on all weather pitches from Carrigaline to Clones that could end up with bomb damage because we won’t defend them.

Not really no, up to the mid 90s we were still spending over 1% on defence, but again the size of the economy meant in real terms that it wasn’t enough. Through the 00s nobody in Ireland gave a shite about defence, apart from the left attacking Shannon. Again you seem to think this is somehow a new situation, not the same situation that has been the case since 1922. There was outrage when the new OPVs were bought for example with demands that the 30+ year old P20s be kept inservice instead.

it is sadly the norm, and even if the reported increases happen, fighters are still unlikely and well down on the list.

We have always been defenceless!

We were defenceless in WW2, we were defenceless in the Cold War, we were defenceless during the Troubles, we were defenceless during the “War on Terror” years, are you somehow suggesting we weren’t at risk at all for the last hundred years until now. Why are you jumping into this thread an acting like you alone have made this amazing discovery, or that somehow it’s a change from the norm? And actual point of fact getting back to the “size of the economy bit” while a tiny % of gdp, the actual budget is several times what it was when we were spending above 1% on defence during the Troubles.

Amazingly (and in some cases unfortunately) politicians do things and spend on things that get them re-elected. New roads, businesses, housing stock, health. The Irish people want that, spending on defence, not so much. If the budget is doubled to €2 billion, expect a shitload of complaining in the Daíl, just look at the shite PBP etc are spewing today for example. And even then the budget is unlikely to stretch to fighters, however most likely will pay for finally setting up the Primary Radar systems.

Besides which arguably the threat of Russia has been greatly weakened as their Ukrainian misadventure has proved that they are in a terrible state. Also the argument that the government priority is somehow to sustain the status quo goes against everything we have seen since the Commissions report. You have read that right?

Yes and no, while the Air Force has been relatively limited in operations and therefore still intact, Russia has basically spent its active combat strength in the war, from manpower and vehicles to PGM ordnance, along with some appalling service rates as well.

Indeed, I’m not denying that, just pointing out that Russians ability to back up such behaviour has just been rather publicly exposed as far from the threat many believed. The scale of corruption and ill-training is quite amazing.

They effectively faced no opposition in the air during Syria, or any integrated air defence system, which allowed them to bomb the crap out of anyone they wanted. They also only operated in small numbers and the Russian military system basically supports a small number from a much larger unit operating a full capability. Now that they had to use large scale formations that doesn’t work. There’s also apparently a huge issue with Russian Air Force training and doctrine with limited multi unit coordinated strikes for example be seen in Ukraine.

Yep, I mean when you are losing Generals because the comm system has collapsed and they have to use unencrypted cell phones while all of NATO is watching and telling the Ukrainians...

Or this list of potential issues

On the other hand for those thinking Neutrality will stop Russia, it's just been admitted that Russia flew into Swedish Airspace with nuclear weapons a couple of weeks ago...

Jets aren't affordable - this is an expensive business, but the vast majority of first world countries see the need for it, the irish public are somehow blind to it though.

we've had decades of the Gov/DF trying to do things on the cheap and look where we are now?

anything less than a 4th gen supersonic aircraft is a waste of taxpayers money.

Course there is, the likely cheapest would be F16's either from the Boneyard or the retiring fleets, however if we want to bring them up to current spec they get expensive. After that you are left with the usual suspects.

We need to be accurate about history. Just immediately after Mid WW11 we had a conventional capability with about a dozen frontline Fighters, the Hurricane, later added to by Seafires and Vampires. The Navy had it's then frontline Corvette Escorts preceded by 6 MTB's with torpedoes. We opted for total disarmament in the Navy and Air Corps and we were all seen off by bad decisions and delighted C/Servants.

Popular flexible roled aircraft like the Harrier were ignored although capable of operating from any area suitable for both VTOL and forward flight, including GAA all weather pitches referred to earlier. The problem now is that there is a Technical and Training ceiling to be broken through and do we have the courage and belief to go for it.