Irish Mail on Sunday 26-8-07

[Silver]

Article in Irish Mail on Sunday 26-8-07 Page 18.

Title: "Thats plane crazy!"
Subtitle: "The pride of the Air Corps... left standing in a hijack"
By: Ken Foxe, Security Correspondent

Summary: The article (accompanied by a photo of PC-9M '260' and an Airbus A321) basically points out the lack of intercept aircraft within the AC fleet. It states that the PC-9's are only capable of 579km/h compared to the A321's 946-1,004km/h.
Tha article states that Labour's Joe Costello sent an independent analysis to the defence minister which compared th e lack of intercept aircraft to that of the gardai having slower cars than criminals.

Security analyst Declan Power stated that the AC "had been offered fighter aircraft by a Czech manufacturer". He said "This would have given us interception capability with rogue airliners but the department did not consider that this would be cost-effective"

(It doesn't stated whether he was referring to the L39's or L159's. As we all know here, the PC-9's are almost as fast and more advanced than the L39's!)

The govts reply in the article basically states there will be no change, mostly citing the cost factor of purchasing and operating jet aircraft when we have no imminent fear of attack.

[Guinness]

Here we go again

Guinness

[FMolloy]

The Mail has been doing it's best to embarrass the DF and Gardaí since it launched in Ireland, this is no exception.

[pilatus]

Quote (FMolloy @ 27 Aug. 2007,06:16)

The Mail has been doing it's best to embarrass the DF and Gardaí since it launched in Ireland, this is no exception.

Correct and every thress months or there abouts there is an article on the government jets and there miss- use, but never have i seen an article giving them credit.About three months ago they did an article saying that Irelands neutraility hung in the balance because we have armed turbo props!In the report they say that the Air Corps modified these aircraft to carry weapons and that is a sign of what is to come!does anyone else remember this?

[Imshi-Yallah]

There is approximately one article about the lack of Air Defence capability a year.

So far the impact on public opinion has paled in comparison to the upset about Kerry Katona's dog's new collar.

[sealion]

So when are we getting fighter jets then

[Imshi-Yallah]

Shortly after someone thinks of painting "Orphan Rescue" on the wings.

[FiannaFail]

But the question remains, should we have interceptor aircraft? If not,why not?
FiannaFail
 

[corsair]

We probably should have interceptors but it will never happen. The budget simply isn't there. As it was explained to me once, it's not so much the aircraft themselves as the lack of a dedicated military radar. The figure of €200 million was mentioned just for the radar. Then you need aircraft, missiles, training, support equipment etc. It's just not a viable option.

That all raises the question of what kind of Air Corps we should have? On another forum the role of the Air Corps was seriously questioned. It was pointed that most of it's roles could be done more cheaply by civilian contractors just like SAR is done now, particularly the governments jets. The PC9s seem to be a very expensive way of training pilots to fly Cessnas and helicopters. Maybe the best job for the Air Corps should simply be to get more helicopters to support the army and do away with most of the rest of it's jobs. It's an interesting thought, if not very comfortable for those of us who are interested in the Air Corps.

[Silver]

While I understand where people are coming from re civilian contractors (possibly!) doing the job cheaper...the logic in keeping a pool of pilots trained up to (almost) fast-jet standard - using the PC-9's - is also understandably should the need ever arise that we decide purchase fast jets at short notice. 

[Prepares to open a can or worms]

Is it also possible with the advances in radar technology that, in the near future, fast jets with advanced onboard radar could be purchased without also having ground-based radar as well?

Alternatively, could a system be put in place for us to use UK-based ground radar with AC jets based in Baldonnel?
(I know it's a politically sensitive thing to suggest ...but it could be a realistic (finiancially viable!) option. 

[FiannaFail]

Hear Hear Silver! Well put and I agree with you 100%, except that I would feel that we should get some jets to progress this need sooner rather than later. The issue raises the point whether we should have an IAC or not and perhaps even an Army (some may say that who would want to invade us anyway and look to Iceland with no Defence Forces of their own).  That point of view would suggest we dont need a Naval Service either, a Coast Guard Service would do the job perfectly.  I for one dont agree, I feel we should have a well stocked Defence Forces (all three Services) who should be responsible to patrol are own airspace, sea area and land and not expect some other country's tax payer to equipe their forces to be available at a drop of a hat to protect us at our time of need?
FiannaFail

[Lootenant Pigeon]

Theres a whole lot of reasons why we need an Army, Navy and Air Force in particular with ground attack and interceptor capability and not one of you has even considered the uncomfortable truth that some day all three will almost certainly be needed when the North falls apart. Uncomfortable but true. This is the one country in western europe that really does NEED a serious military capability and nowhere near enough is being spent on it. Jets are vital. Get them. I will be posting another thread on this shortly.

[CK]

Talk about a dooms day case. But sadly true we don`t have any jets.