Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
18. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if a storage site has been identified for the new armoured vehicle fleet for the Irish Army; if a charging facility has been constructed in advance of the vehicles being delivered; if there will be one central charging facility or if facilities will be built across all or several Army locations; and the funding that will be provided for training on the new vehicle fleet. [69221/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing 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’.
A key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces which has been accepted in principle is the “replacement of the existing APCs with a larger and enhanced fleet equipped with sufficient firepower for future overseas missions, and with ‘level 4’ armour across armour platforms where required”.
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 updated Detailed Implementation Plan.
Earlier this year, I announced the approval of the Strategic Assessment Case for the Armoured Fleet Programme. Following an assessment of the available delivery options, and in line with the recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, a government-to-government approach with France was identified as the preferred option for delivering the programme.
Officials from my Department are in 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 adopted, to ensure that vehicle procurement is fully integrated with doctrine, training, infrastructure, personnel, and interoperability requirements. This complex programme is in the initial assessment phase and under development. As such, the specifications and role, fleet size, timelines and costs are to be determined and are dependent on the ongoing negotiations and the completion of the necessary approval and sanction steps. Issues relating to infrastructure, training and support arrangements will be addressed as part of the programme. Further details are not available at this time.
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.
