Modern vehicles of the Irish Army

Irish Army

Components
Irish Army
Army Reserve
Equipment
Equipment and uniform
Personnel
Officer rank insignia
Enlisted rank insignia

This is a partial list of the modern vehicles of the Irish Army (and other Irish Defence Forces).

Contents

Defence Forces land vehicles

Number Make/Model Role Armament/notes
54 Mowag Piranha IIIH[1] Armoured Personnel Carrier Armed with 1x12.7mm HMG machine gun, co-ax 7.62mm machine gun, 8x 66mm smoke dischargers
8 Mowag Piranha IIIH Armoured Command Vehicles Armed with 1x12.7mm HMG machine gun, co-ax 7.62mm machine gun, 8x 66mm smoke dischargers
2 Mowag Piranha IIIH Armoured Ambulance
1 Mowag Piranha IIIH Armoured Recovery Vehicle
9 Mowag Piranha IIIH Close Recce Vehicle Armed with the 12.7mm or 40mm H&K GMG Kongsberg RWS
6 Mowag Piranha IIIH[1] Medium Recce Vehicle Armed with Oto Melara 30mm cannon
19 Panhard AML 90 Cavalry/scout vehicle Armed with 1x90mm gun, co-ax 7.62mm machine gun, 4x66mm smoke dischargers. 20 purchased - one destroyed by fire in Lebanon.
24 Panhard AML 20 Cavalry/scout vehicle Armed with 1x20mm cannon, co-ax 7.62mm machine gun, 4x66mm smoke dischargers. A conversion of the Panhard 127 and AML 60CS.
14 Scorpion 440 CVRT, Light recce Tank. Armed with 1x76mm gun, co-ax 7.62mm machine gun, 4 x66mm smoke dischargers.[2]
2 Sisu XA-180 Armoured personnel carrier Used at the Curragh's United Nations Training School
25 RG-32M (RG Outrider) LTAV[3] Light tactical armoured vehicles The first BAE RG-32M light tactical armoured vehicles were delivered in early 2010.[4]
N/A Nissan Patrol Troop transport 4x4 FFR vehicles.[5]
N/A Ford Transit Troop transport
N/A LDV Minibus Troop transport
N/A MAN 14.240 FAEG 4x4 Troop transport
55 Iveco Astra 8x8 Troop carrying transport vehicles
60 Mercedes-Benz 1117 Troop carrying vehicle (TCV)[6]
N/A Scania R124 8x8[7] DROPS heavy lift vehicle
21 Iveco EuroTrakker[8] DROPS heavy lift vehicle Complement includes 1 heavy recovery variant
36 Scania AB 6x6[9] General transport trucks
N/A Land Rover Defender Field ambulances
N/A Mowag Duro III Bomb disposal unit vehicles Armoured and unarmoured variants
7 Bandvagn 206 Air defence support role
16 ACMAT VLRA Troop transport vehicle and gun tractor Used as gun tractor in limited role for 105mm and 120mm mortar artillery
10+ Ford F350 SRV RECCE vehicle Used by special forces/ARW
N/A Aardvark MK4 Mine flail
2 DOK-ING MV-4 Remote mine flail Tracked remote control mini flail
N/A Bedford Vehicles TK Troop carrier/lorry
N/A EOD Duro II Tactical military lorry
N/A Crossley 25/30 Tender (historical) Historical/display
N/A Kronenburg MAC11-7114 Airport crash tender
Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 Internal security role Delivered March 2010.
Toyota FJ40 Staff cars
Various Transport vehicles / staff cars The Cavalry Corps, Military Police and Communications Corps are equipped with various staff cars, motorcycles all terrain and road going motorbikes and ATVs

UAV

Number Make/Model Role Notes
3+ Aeronautics Orbiter UAV Miniature UAV Most recently used by EUFOR Tchad/RCA contingent

Defence Forces aircraft

Note: All Irish Aircraft are operated by the Irish Air Corps. Main article: List of aircraft of the Irish Air Corps
Aircraft[10] Origin Type Versions In service Notes
AgustaWestland AW139  Italy Transport Helicopter (M-L) AW139 6 Sometimes armed with door mounted GPMG
CASA CN-235  Spain Maritime patrol CN-235M-100P 2 Upgraded by EADS-CASA in 2008
Cessna 172  France Surveillance & Monitoring FR172H 5 Reims-built
Eurocopter EC-135  Germany Trainer Helicopter EC135P2 2 Also used to support the Army when not in pilot training
Gates Learjet 45  United States VIP Transport 45 1
Grumman G1159C Gulfstream IV  United States VIP Transport G1159C 1
Pilatus PC-9M  Switzerland Trainer Aircraft PC-9M 7 8 delivered, one crashed in 2009.[11] Sometimes equipped with HMG or rocket pods.[12][13]
In addition, the IAC operates on behalf of the national police force's Garda Air Support Unit:
Britten-Norman Defender 4000  United Kingdom GASU reconnaissance and patrol BN2T-4S 1
Eurocopter EC 135T2  Germany GASU EC135T2 2

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Military.ie (Official IDF site) - Irish Army Vehicles - Mowag APC
  2. ^ Military.ie (Official IDF site) - Irish Army Vehicles - Scorpion Armoured reconnaissance vehicle
  3. ^ Lavery, Don (December 14, 2008). ""South African firm wins Irish Army vehicle contract"". Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/south-african-firm-wins-irish-army-vehicle-contract-1574429.html. 
  4. ^ "2010 Estimates for Defence and Army Pensions and Annual Output Statement" (Press release). Department of Defence. 17 June 2010. http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/Speech+ID/82678304702CA70F80257745004E80DD?OpenDocument. Retrieved 31 May 2011. 
  5. ^ Military.ie (Official IDF site) - Irish Army Vehicles - General Service Vehicle
  6. ^ Martin, Karl (2002). Irish Army Vehicles, transport and armour since 1922. Karl Martin. ISBN 0-9543413-0-9.
  7. ^ Scania.ie - News - Irish Defence Forces Scania 8x8 (August 2005)
  8. ^ Iveco Defence Vehicles - Military Vehicles and Trucks
  9. ^ Scania.ie - News - Irish Defence Forces €6 million order to SCANIA (September 2006)
  10. ^ Defence Forces - Air Corps Fleet
  11. ^ RTÉ News - Two pilots die in Air Corps crash - 13 October 2009
  12. ^ Official Defence Forces site - Pilatus PC-9M Statistics
  13. ^ IrishAirPics.com - Description of live fire training exercise