Army troops deployed with the EU battlegroup have been outfitted with advanced new equipment in advance of its potential adoption by the wider Defence Forces.
The new equipment, which includes night vision technology, body armour and weapons, was issued to the 172 Irish soldiers assigned to the new rapid reaction force, which is intended to be deployed on overseas missions on short notice.
It is designed to bring Irish soldiers’ equipment up to the standard used by the other militaries contributing troops to the 2,000-strong battlegroup. Thirteen countries contribute to the battlegroup, which is led by Germany.
Depending on its performance, the equipment, or a version of it, may be adopted by the rest of the Defence Forces as part of the Government’s plans to modernise the Irish military.
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The new equipment was field tested during war games involving the battlegroup in Bergen, Germany, last November and, most recently, in Hungary last week.
The Irish soldiers have been equipped with new helmets and lighter “plate carrier” body armour to replace the more unwieldy and heavier armour used by the Defence Forces since 2006.
They have also been issued with advanced night-vision goggles to enable them to operate in darkness and with laser targeting technology for their Steyr rifles.
Soldiers have also been issued with modern “software defined” radio equipment.
Some specialised troops in the battlegroup have been equipped with new “designated marksmen rifles”, similar to sniper rifles. The Defence Forces is currently in the process of acquiring more than 300 such rifles, worth about €8 million, for the entire military.
A €16.5 million contract for new body armour has also been signed, which will see more than 6,000 units being delivered later this year.
A Defence Forces spokesman said the new battlegroup equipment ensures the Defence Forces “remain aligned with contemporary operational standards”.
He said the equipment would contribute significantly “to operational effectiveness and force protection”.
The battlegroup’s year-long standby period began in January. For the first half of this period it must be able to deploy within 30 days. In the second six months it will be able to move on 10 days’ notice.
“This readiness posture reflects the high level of preparedness required for participation in EU-led rapid response operations,” the Defence Forces said.
While there has been some speculation the battlegroup may be deployed as an deterrence force in Ukraine as part of a ceasefire, this is increasingly seen as unlikely.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is willing to send Irish troops but only as part of a peacekeeping or peace monitoring force.
“It is important to highlight that any potential deployment of the EUBG would be subject to the standard national decision-making processes and protocols governing the deployment of Irish military personnel overseas,” the Defence Forces spokesman said.
During last week’s exercise, the battlegroup practised deploying to Pápa airbase in Hungary in advance of a notional international mission.
The aim, according to the Defence Forces, was to “test and improve interoperability across all levels of military operations – strategic, operational and tactical – while enhancing the EU’s ability to plan, co-ordinate and execute a stand-alone crisis management operation”.
Irish armoured personnel carriers were transported to the mission area by train from a pre-positioned depot in Germany while Irish personnel were flown in from Dublin on two German air force flights.
Ireland lacks the capacity to transport large numbers of troops itself, although a dedicated military transport aircraft is currently being acquired.
