Ukraine war shows need for ‘fit-for-purpose’ military, Defence Forces’ chief says

The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows the need for Ireland to have a "fit-for-purpose" military, the Defence Forces' chief of staff has said.

Lieut Gen Seán Clancy said he did not want to conflate what is happening in Ukraine with the need to increase Irish military resources, but that the war, along with the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent HSE cyberattack had “catalysed” focus on the issue.

“We are experiencing a truly stark time in our collective history; something none of us could have imagined only a few months ago. The situation in Ukraine and in a wider, geopolitical and global security environment points to an increasingly complex set of challenges that the world faces,” he said.

“All of this points to the necessity today, more than ever, to have a fit-for-purpose military in this State.”

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Lieut Gen Clancy's comments come three months after the Commission on the Defence Forces reported that the military was not currently capable of credibly defending Ireland against attack. It also put forward various proposals for increased funding.

Action plan

The Defence Forces has been “carefully examining” the report, he said, adding that it would deliver an action plan to the Minister for Defence in a number of weeks, which would then be brought to Government.

Lieut General Clancy declined to say what would be included in the action plan. "We are undoubtedly at the start of something new. It will have lots of steps. It will have twists and turns. It will be disruptive to the Air Corps today," he said.

“We will not be found wanting in preparing the Defence Forces and the Air Corps for the future in a manner that maximises the potential of this report and a properly resourced decision that it will bring about.”

The chief of staff was speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the handover of Baldonnel Aerodrome in Dublin from the RAF to the Irish Air Service. The ceremony was attended by current and former members of the Air Corps, as well as RAF and British army representatives.

Members of the Air Corps marched through the original gates of the aerodrome, recreating the actions of the air service a century ago.

During the ceremony, two wreaths were laid to remember those who died in service and those who served and later died after retirement. A statue of Michael Collins was also unveiled at the event.

Carried the flag

One of the most recently qualified members of the Air Corps, Lieut Cayman Roe (27), who earned his wings on March 23rd, carried the flag throughout the ceremony. He said it was a “great privilege” to carry the regimental colours because of his family’s link to the organisation.

"My great grandfather, air commodore Henry Gerrard, would have been attested in 1911 into the British army. At that stage, he would have been commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in 1916," Lieut Roe said.

“He stayed in the RAF. He was based in the UK. But it’s nice to know that some of the aircraft he would have flown and been trained on back in the day would have been the same aircraft we had here. It’s great to be a part of that link.”