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Seems like Europe is starting to rapidly re-arm itself. Dunno how Russia thought this was the preferable outcome for them spend decades achieving.
For Ireland it’s the the first time they start arming themselves seriously at all. Their waters were getting harrassed regularly by Russian ships.
I wonder what sort of jets they’re going to fly. Given the cost (and the dependency on the US), I imagine F-35s may not be the first choice.
I think the articles photo of a Gripen is a good guess. Affordable, easy to operate/maintain, and modern enough to stand against other 4th gen fighters. I also just think it's pretty, so yeah...
It depends what mission they prioritize. For domestic defense purposes anti air and anti ship capabilities are likely a priority. The EEZ extends pretty far into the Atlantic. Ireland cooperates a lot with the UK on defense. The Royal Air Force defends Irish airspace at the moment. So they weight choose a model they operate. The F-35B the British operate make no sense outside an aircraft carrier. Eurofighter Typhoon is the other fighter they operate.