Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
189. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Defence the plans the Defence Forces now have for light tactical armoured vehicles which were offered to Ukraine but rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54227/26]
View answerMy priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development Planning processes.
The Defence Forces fleet of 27 Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles, the RG32M, has been in service since 2010. These vehicles are now approaching end of life, are being withdrawn from active service, and are due for replacement. No decision has yet been made regarding the manner in which these vehicles will be disposed.
Following the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022, the Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2).
A joint civil-military programme team are continuing their work on this programme in line with the Public Spending Code / Infrastructure Guidelines. The Programme is being progressed in line with the recently published updated Detailed Implementation Plan.
Earlier this year I announced that the Strategic Assessment Case for the Armoured Fleet Programme has been approved, and that following the assessment of potential options for delivery of the Armoured Fleet Programme, in line with the recommendation of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, that a Government-level approach with France is the preferred option.
Officials from my Department have now commenced detailed negotiations with France on a potential agreement for the delivery of capability requirements under the French SCORPION Programme of vehicles. A whole-of-capability approach will be be adopted, to ensure that vehicle procurement is fully integrated with doctrine, training, infrastructure, personnel, and interoperability requirements. The programme is in the initial assessment phase. As such, the fleet size, role, timelines and costs are to be determined and are dependent on the ongoing negotiations and the completion of the necessary approval and sanction steps.
The Armoured Fleet Programme represents a significant step in addressing critical capability gaps and will ensure that the Defence Forces are equipped with a modern, integrated armoured fleet capable of meeting current and future operational requirements, both at home and on overseas missions.
