A contract is in place for the delivery of four aircraft to provide a modern training and light-utility helicopter capability for the Air Corps. The procurement was conducted in accordance with EU Defence and Security procurement legislation, the Public Spending Code and the Infrastructure Guidelines, and was underpinned by legal advice from the Attorney General.
The four Airbus H145M helicopters will replace the ageing EC-135 fleet, which has reached the end of its useful service life. The total capital value of the contract is €91.7 million, exclusive of VAT.
The decision to procure the H145M followed a comprehensive Strategic Assessment Review, Preliminary Business Case and Final Business Case process, as required under the Public Spending Code. This process included a detailed operational requirements analysis and an options assessment examining how identified capability requirements could best be met in a sustainable and value-for-money manner. This assessment considered pilot training requirements, operational roles, interoperability, fleet resilience, and projected lifecycle operating, maintenance and service-life costs.
The H145M is a military-configured aircraft intended to support a range of military roles consistent with Government policy and the operational taskings of the Defence Forces. All elements of the aircraft were considered as part of the overall procurement approval process and no separate approvals were required in respect of specific components.
The Department does not comment on systems or equipment currently in use by the Defence Forces for operational reasons. Any operational deployment of such capabilities is a matter for the military authorities and is subject to Government policy and appropriate oversight arrangements.
The Department also had regard, as part of normal Defence procurement governance, to issues relating to reliance on foreign origin mission systems, avionics, software and specialist components. Ireland does not possess a large domestic aerospace or defence industry and it is therefore necessary that Defence Forces equipment platforms are procured from international suppliers. In this context, procurement arrangements include appropriate contractual, logistical safeguards to support assured supply, sustainability and operational resilience.
The ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 has made it clear that all States must abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the occupied Palestinian territory that may entrench its unlawful presence there.
Directive 2009/81/EC sets out European rules for public procurement in the fields of defence and security and applies in principle to all contracts for the procurement of military equipment, works and services as well as procurement of sensitive supplies, works and services for security purposes. This Directive allows for certain exclusions or restrictions to access to tender competitions by third country bidders.
Since the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, the Department has included provisions in its tender documentation regarding the right to reject offers from third countries, which includes Israel, on defence and security grounds, in line with the Commission guidance on the procurement of defensive equipment under Directive 2009/18/EU.
There is currently no intention to purchase military equipment from Israel.
