Ireland has previously had to rely on French, Norwegian and British fast jets to intercept Russian strategic bombers. Now the country is thinking about its own air combat interceptors.
The Saab Gripen E could be the Republic of Ireland’s first fast jet since the de Havilland Vampire and Fouga Magister if a defence review supports creating a domestic response to combat Russian incursions into Irish airspace.
Possible planning for an Irish intercept capability was referred to in the Irish Defence Forces’ five-year equipment development plan, published on June 26, 2020. Since 2015, Russian Federation bombers have frequently entered Ireland’s air domain and tactical fast jets from neighbouring countries routinely scramble to intercept the aircraft.
“It’s a point of embarrassment that we do not have an air intercept capacity to defend our airspace,” says Ben Tonra, a professor at the University College Dublin’s school of politics and international relations. “We don’t even know what goes through our airspace. If the Russians turn off their transponders, we have no notion what is going on.”
Transponders are an issue because …
