Commission on the Defence Forces Public Consultation Response Template 1. Capabilities – In this regard, you may wish to consider future integrated capability development and the planning and delivery requirements to support a joint force approach in terms of new equipment, professional military education and training, maintenance and development of infrastructure, developments in military doctrine, and transformative concepts, including specialist capabilities, that prepare and support the Defence Forces for future operations. This proposal is in respect of the provision of effective air defence aircraft for our state. In this Centenary year of our independence as a nation it is embarrassing and shameful that we currently rely on a arrangement made by Dept. Defence, the Dept of Foreign Affairs and The Irish Aviation Authority with British Defence authorities to have the RAF provide air protection cover over this republic. To make matters worse this arrangement was entered into without any reference to the Defence Forces and without any input from them. I accept that the provision of modern fighter aircraft is a potentially expensive and technically challenging task. However here are some options which I am certain will address the current shortfall and resulting unsatisfactory state of affairs. 1. We can approach some of our EU colleague states with a view to purchasing surplus fighter aircraft from them. This will be time consuming and may not result in a satisfactory outcome, never the less we should consider this option. I won’t identify potential aircraft as I would be guessing at to what our EU neighbours/allies have in their surplus stocks. 2.The purchase of Aero L159A and L159T1 (trainer aircraft) from the Czech Republic would offer a ready to go and relatively cheap fighter aircraft option. A total of 72 of these aircraft were built, 64 appear to be in service world wide leaving about 8 available. If approached on the basis that we need 12, the Czech government might supply the additional aircraft from their stocks, they have 24 in service and now that they are operating Saab JAS 39 Gripen may have less need for all the L159s in service. The L159 has a reasonable turn of speed at 936 KM/H. Can carry air to air missiles such as AIM 9 Sidewinder and can be fitted with 20mm gun pods. 3.The third option is the Saab JAS Gripen. This is a state of art aircraft, which while normally expensive could meet our requirements through a leasing agreement with the Swedish Government. There are currently several such agreements in place between Sweden and a number of client states. Below are brief details of current leasing agreements. It is critical to note that the leasing agreement with the Czech Republic includes training of pilots and technicians in Sweden. The lease contract price over 10 years for 14 aircraft is very reasonable by comparison with the cost buying the aircraft outright which could involve an up front payment of €700 million plus training and support costs. On 14 June 2004, it was announced that the Czech Republic was to lease 14 Gripen aircraft, modified to comply with NATO standards.[169] The agreement also included the training of Czech pilots and technicians in Sweden. The first six were delivered on 18 April 2005.[170] The lease was for an agreed period of 10 years at a cost of €780 million; the 14 ex-Swedish Air Force aircraft included 12 single-seaters and two JAS 39D twoseat trainers.[171][172] In September 2013, the Defence and Security Export Agency announced that a follow-up agreement with the Czech Republic had been completed to extend the lease by 14 years, until 2029; leased aircraft shall also undergo extensive modernization, including the adoption of new datalinks.[173] The lease also has an option of eventually acquiring the fighters outright. While the Hungarian Air Force operates a total of 14 Gripen aircraft under lease,[172] in 2011, the country reportedly intended to purchase these aircraft outright.[186] However, in January 2012, the Hungarian and Swedish governments agreed to extend the lease period for a further ten years; according to Hungarian Defence Minister Csaba Hende, the agreement represented considerable cost savings An additional element of us buying from Sweden is that we are dealing within the EU and the aircraft would be supplied by a fellow Neutral nation. The implementation of the proposals in this submission will greatly enhance the capability of the Air Corps in particular and the Defence Forces in general. I hope you find merit in my submission. 2. Structures – In this regard, you may wish to consider the most effective high-level Command and Control (C2) structures within the Defence Forces to ensure an agile and balanced approach that can function across all domains at home and overseas. Additionally, you may wish to address appropriate future force structures for the Army (including its brigade structure), the Air Corps, and the Naval Service, individually as component services and collectively as part of an integrated joint force approach. Furthermore, you may wish to address the changing nature of reservists, which presents an opportunity for the Reserve Defence Force to further integrate and support the Permanent Defence Force through the provision of enhanced collective and specialist capability across all domains. 3. Staffing – In this regard you may wish to consider the HR policies that support the requirement for an agile and adaptive modern military force. You may wish to consider issues such as recruitment and retention, organisational culture and values, gender and diversity, career progression, and industrial relations machinery. 4. Any other comments you may wish to make in relation to the Defence Forces having regard to the Commission’s Terms of Reference .