SHOCKING REVELATION: Neutral Ireland is frantically splashing up to €500 MILLION on a cutting-edge French military radar system after mysterious pro-Russian drones invaded its airspace – right as Ukrainian President Zelensky touched down in Dublin. Latest update (December 17, 2025): Defense Minister Helen McEntee has officially confirmed France as the preferred supplier, with urgent negotiations now underway and counter-drone tech fast-tracked before Ireland hosts the EU presidency in 2026. Source: The Irish Times. This exposes Ireland's terrifying defense blackout in an era of hybrid warfare!
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Ireland has finally admitted its skies are wide open – and it's turning to France in a desperate multi-million euro scramble for survival.
On Wednesday, the Irish government dropped the bombshell: it will immediately launch high-level talks with France to acquire a full Military Radar Programme (MRP) worth an estimated €300-500 million. Officials openly stated that going government-to-government with France was "the ONLY feasible way" to get real radar capability fast, relying on a "trusted partner" that no open tender could match.
This explosive move comes after unidentified drones – widely blamed on pro-Russian actors – swarmed off the Irish coast near Dublin exactly when Volodymyr Zelensky arrived for his visit. The incidents only hit the media AFTER he left, sparking outrage over Ireland's blind-spot vulnerability.
Neutral Ireland, set to host high-stakes EU summits during its six-month presidency starting July 2026, has NO combat jets, NO major navy, and until now – virtually NO independent air surveillance. Experts warn this leaves the country defenseless against hybrid threats like drone sabotage and airspace incursions.
Defense Minister Helen McEntee vowed to rush counter-drone systems into service before year-end, declaring: "We will ensure the Defense Forces can identify and neutralize drone threats." The full radar network – including long-range land-based systems, ship radars, and ground defenses – is targeted for completion by 2028.
But questions remain: Why the sudden rush? How deep do Russian hybrid operations go off Irish shores? And is half a billion euros enough to plug decades of deliberate defense neglect?
AFP reports: Ireland said Wednesday it plans to buy a multi-million euro military radar system from France as it prepares to host the rotating EU presidency next year amid concerns over its defense capability.
“This approach guarantees the use of the experience and knowledge of a trusted partner country which cannot be provided through any other option,” it said.
Media reports estimate the cost of the new “Military Radar Programme” (MRP) system at between 300 and 500 million euros ($350-$585 million).
The move comes after several unidentified drones blamed on pro-Russian actors were spotted off the Irish coast near Dublin around the time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Irish capital for a one-day visit earlier this month.
The incident emerged in a local media report only after Zelensky had left Ireland, sparking doubts over its defense capability.
The militarily neutral country which will host EU leaders summit meetings when it takes over the six-month bloc presidency in July next year maintains a small army and has no combat air force or large naval fleet.
The government is also “in final negotiations to conclude a contract before the end of the year” to provide counter-drone technology in advance of the EU presidency, Defense Minister Helen McEntee said in a statement on Wednesday.
“My department will work with the (Irish) Defense Forces to ensure that they have the capacity to identify and neutralize threats posed by drones,” she said.
Оригинальная статья: Ireland's €500M Panic Buy: French Radar to Stop Russian Drones! on Planet Today 🚀
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