Ireland is set to introduce its first ever primary military radar system next year — a move that will enable the detection of hostile, surveillance, and hijacked aircraft, reports The Mirror.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris confirmed that officials are currently reviewing potential international partners for the radar system, which could carry a price tag running into the hundreds of millions.
The advanced radar will be capable of identifying aircraft that are designed to avoid detection or have their transponders disabled, including hijacked planes, hostile and surveillance aircraft, and aircraft used by international drug traffickers to evade radar, reports The Mirror.
Mr Harris noted that the full radar programme is expected to be fully functional by 2028.
“Year on year, indeed month and month from next year, we’ll be in an enhanced position,” Mr Harris said.
Ireland’s current security infrastructure is not able to track such aircraft within its airspace, according to RTÉ News, reports The Mirror.
The Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022 recommended that Ireland develop its own military radar capability — a recommendation that the Government has since accepted.
Simon Harris previously stated in a parliamentary reply in March that the development of long-range radar, ground-based air defence, and maritime detection systems is of “significant importance” and has been treated as a “priority” by the Government, reports The Mirror.
He also acknowledged the necessity of interceptor aircraft, pointing out that the lack of such jets raises concerns over how Ireland could deal with airborne threats once they’re identified.
Experts argue that primary radar is just one piece of a broader air defence system — which must also include a 24/7 control centre, a communications system for aircraft, and interceptor jets capable of responding to threats in real-time, reports The Mirror.
David Stupples, a Professor of Electronic and Radio Systems at City St George’s in the University of London, told RTÉ News he has long been puzzled by Ireland’s lack of a national air defence radar network.
Prof. Stupples, who has worked on radar systems for the Royal Air Force and previously collaborated with Irish authorities, said the likely reason no system was implemented earlier is that Ireland’s leaders never viewed the country as a likely target.
“I don’t see Ireland as a particular target, but I see the world getting more and more volatile. Ireland does need to take precautions and actions to defend itself,” he said, reports The Mirror.
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