Swedish Gripens Are Still Probably Ireland’s Best Option For Fighter Jets

The Republic of Ireland is still mulling what type of fighter jet to acquire for its ill-equipped, almost non-existent air force. Sweden’s Saab JAS-39 Gripen is probably the island republic’s best option for many reasons.

In 2020, Irish officials began publicly acknowledging the salient fact that the country needs at least 16 fighter jets if it wishes to exercise full control over its airspace rather than depending upon Royal Air Force (RAF) jets. An alleged secret agreement allowing the RAF to police Irish airspace raises significant constitutional issues for the republic and has even been described in a High Court case as “an impermissible dilution of sovereignty.” In the words of one Irish journalist, a perverse situation has emerged in which “Ireland relies on its former colonizer to defend its seas and skies.”

In February 2022, the Irish government was urged to buy as many as 24 fighter jets to prevent unauthorized airspace incursions and combat terrorist hijackings.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that same month has made the matter much more urgent. Aside from having an unprotected, and even unmonitored, airspace in a strategically-important part of Europe’s western flank, Ireland also has a large ill-protected exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Atlantic covering 16 percent of the European Union’s territorial waters. Seventy-five percent of critical telecommunications cables in the Northern Hemisphere are located within or near that EEZ and could prove highly vulnerable to sabotage.

Ireland even lacks radar capable of adequately monitoring its airspace. As the Irish Times recently noted, “Ireland is the only EU country not covered by a primary radar system, meaning aircraft are invisible if they do not have their navigation beacons turned on.”

Dublin has designated funds for acquiring a radar. It also plans to procure Piper training aircraft for the Air Corps. But that would not mark a significant improvement over the handful of turboprop Swiss Pilatus PC-9s it acquired in the mid-2000s, the closest thing the air force has to fighters.

Other recent proposals for jets have ranged from acquiring or leasing second-hand jets from other European air forces or purchasing FA-50 light combat aircraft from South Korea. The latter might be a good choice for Ireland since it can function both as an advanced trainer, which Dublin needs since it sorely lacks fighter pilots, and a decent basic interceptor.

While many countries are seeking out second-hand jets, which are cheaper than factory-fresh aircraft and have quicker delivery times, that might prove an unsuitable option for Ireland. After all, they would cost more to maintain in the long term and could prove ill-suited for Ireland given its general lack of experience in maintaining and operating advanced military aircraft.

Acquiring new 4.5-generation Gripens from Sweden could prove a much more suitable option. As argued in this space back in July 2020, the Gripen is relatively cheap for a fighter of its generation and is quite easy to operate and maintain for such an advanced fighter. Furthermore, it’s easily upgradable, so it could remain an efficient, up-to-date 4.5-generation fighter for Ireland for the foreseeable future, which would make all the difference given the enormous cost procuring such an aircraft will impose upon Dublin.

A recent Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) paper written by two military analysts suggested that the Gripen stands out as the “most suitable candidate in terms of operational requirements” for potential Western jets for Ukraine. Many of the points they raised to make that case demonstrate why that aircraft is also well-suited for Ireland’s requirements. For one, they note, the Gripen “was designed from the outset for ease of maintenance, and can be refueled, re-armed and given basic maintenance by teams of just six ground crew using two vehicles on small airbases or highways in cold weather.”

“Moreover,” the analysts wrote, “only one of each crew needs to be a highly trained maintainer; the rest can be conscripts or even troops.”

Such a design is undoubtedly highly favorable for a country with no experience maintaining modern fighters.

The Gripen can also carry the European Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile as well as long-range RBS-15 anti-ship missiles. Both capabilities could enable Ireland to swiftly neutralize threats to its airspace and waters from long distances. These capabilities alone would represent a verifiable game-changer for Irish defenses.

Also, the Gripen’s short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities enabled by its canards allow it to operate from small or even makeshift runways such as civilian highways. That feature could also prove ideal for Ireland. A fleet of 20 Gripens distributed across small airfields throughout the country would make all the difference for Irish air and maritime defense.

Such a procurement would also show the rest of Europe that Ireland is serious about addressing the many severe shortcomings that presently exist in its national defenses.