What upgrade would you recommend for the Irish Air Corps?

Gripen.

>>34451233
just dismantling their air force and accepting they exist as a country solely because no other nation has a desire to invade them due to a lack of strategic and economic worth. Spend that money on other things.

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>>34451233
>Classic hornet
>2017
How? Who would even sell them? Where would you get classic hornets with useable airframe hours?

>>34451285
There are these things called museums and boneyards, current year man.

>>34451299
Any hornet you pull out of a boneyard is going to require a new everything due to 40 years of metal fatigue building up

Stop spending money on weapons for the training aircraft and give it to the RAF because they're the ones who keep Russians out of Irish airspace.

>>34451285
I'm sure Boeing would be happy to make a "reasonably" priced upgrade package for whatever shit they can pull out of the scrap heap.

>>34451233
Talk with Cesna about the Scorpion. Realistically Ireland has the UK Defense going for it and any true threat against them will be a declared attack on the UK itself. So RAF can easily provide most of the required high end Air Defense and the scorpions are a cheap alternative to provide low back end support while retaining strike capability.

>>34451233
buy US or Swedish stuffs, not bong's or other Euros

>money talks
Gripen

>more functional but light aircraft
F-16 (newest version)

>recommend
Super Hornet

If necessary make a formal arrangement with the UK for airspace security, and instead invest in OPV's to secure Ireland's fisheries and interdict smugglers. Potentially, look at large UAVs for dual purpose maritime surveillance (supporting the OPVs) and supporting Irish peacekeeping deployments.

>>34451233
Given that Ireland is a pretty small space, Gripen E or one of the newest F-16 models.
If money is tight, probaby the Gripen C.

needs more BBRRRRRRRRRTTT, that should make it at least 20% better

Just turn your air force into a flying museum.

Get F-5s though

>>34451233
Irish Air Corps has literally never flown a jet with missile armament.

You don't need Hornets.

>>34451376

I would go down this route desu. There would have been a slight chance of unification post-Brexit if the Tories had dun gud in the election but because they've had to hold hands with the DUP, no. A unified Ireland would have made good use of a few F-16s or Gripens or something but right now the best bet is to work with the RAF for airspace security or release the drones. Focus on building up the Navy and scare off the European hordes.

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>>34451250
Gotta protect the potato fields!

>>34451826

What it boils down to is if you asked the Irish public whether they would rather massively increase military spending to run a squadron of fighter jets, (and raise the money through more bullshit like the water charges) for purely symbolic independence in enforcing Irish airspace, or just continue to let the Brits pay for it, there's only going to be one answer. OPVs at least have a tangible benefit for Ireland.

>>34451233
L-15
t.not china shill

>>34452011

I often grapple with the same thing as a NZer. We ain't got jack shit in terms of airspace defense outside of Australia sending over a bunch of F-18s if the shit hits the fan. That would be great if Australia was 15 minutes away, but it isn't.

A return of our (small) combat wing would solve this but even I would admit that any increase in military spending would be better suited to the navy and I doubt the taxpaying public would want a few hundy mil thrown towards a combat wing that may or may not be useful. I don't fucking know.

>>34451373
It's either this or buying tons of missiles.

>>34452072
>We ain't got jack shit in terms of airspace defense outside of Australia sending over a bunch of F-18s if the shit hits the fan.
haha not happening cunt, get the ANZACs back together and that might change

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Gripen all the way.
Cheaper than Bong/burgerplanes while still being NATO compatible.

>>34452239
This. With omgoing Brazilian contract, SAAB is safe and sound, not to mention all these countries around the globe that can't afford F-35, needs the new planes yesterday, and don't want to become the Russian or Chinese bitch.

>>34452239
>>34452570

Kill yourself

SAAB is absolute shit and so are you. There is a reason India just went with planes that aren't SAABS, F-35s or Russian/Chinese.

>>34452606
Fuck off, retard.

How many countries are using your shit plane?

>>34452692
How many countries are using the F-16? Gee I don't Sven.

>>34452692
https://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/06/19/lockheed-and-india-partner-up-on-f-16-deal/

>>34452797
You fuck off too, Tyrone.

>>34452805
Your point? Even fucking Venezuela got some F-16s. Roaches have them, so does People Republic of Greece.
But only absolute poorfags are looking into F-16 nowadays. Anybody else is buying the Gripen, or actually can afford the F-35s.

Join the United Kingdom.

>>34452894
I'm dying

>only poorfags use f-16s
>everyone else uses gripens

Literally four countries use them, this has to be bait or an extremely autistic swede.

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No body mentioned the scorpion? Did that project die?

Ireland should get F-16s, the single engine design and (comparatively) low operating costs make it a great introduction into the modern jet fighter theater. It can haul a pretty respectable load of air to air and air to ground weapons, and it can be fitted with CFTs to extend range. Personally, I think that they would be better served with a two-seat model.

>>34453101
f5s are better than any trainer aircraft out there at a fraction of the cost and extensive upgrade potential.

>>34453101
Too expensive for the capability.

>>34452979
Learn to read, Tyrone. Only poorfags are still buying the F-16s. Like Romania, that couldn't afford anything else, so they are getting second hand F-16s instead.
Meanwhile normal countries are getting F-35s, or the Gripen. Like Poland, who refused more F-16s, or Switzerland respectively.

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I feel bad for the AC lads, they get fuck all while ourselves and the NS get all the good gear

>>34451299
The USMC is now using up the boneyard FA18s to keep theirs flying.

I would think the South Korean FA50 would be a good fit for the Irish.

>>34453205
Sheamus should have never left the UK.

>>34453183
They aren't buying gripens you dumb cunt. Plenty of well of countries continue to buy F16s, f15s and f18s. Your meme plane will never ever be a serious choice for nations who will actually do war fighting. Also, present an argument or point as to why the Gripen is so much better than the F16, we'll wait.

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>>34451233
I'd say Gripens, F16s, F18s etc. are all overkill for Ireland. Plus most of these are old now, and need to be heavily updated to serve.

Ideally, if you wanna get out of the turboprop shithole tier nations go for one of the light aircraft in the US T-X advanced trainer tender:
>Boeing / Saab T-X
>Leonardo T-100
>Lockheed Martin / KAI T-50 Golden Eagle
>Northrop Grumman / BAE Systems
>Sierra Nevada / TAI Freedom
>Stavatti Javelin
>Textron AirLand Scorpion
>Or the L159.

>>34453243
Are you actually retarded? Switzerland already voted for Gripen, two years ago. but libshit turned the referendum into new planes versus the drones. So there will be new referendum this year, and government is again trying to get the Gripen. Deal with it, faggot.

>>34453134
Those aren't being built anymore though.

>>34453325
Woah dude are you telling me the country that never has or will do any modern war fighting is buying your shitty meme plane? Thank you for proving my point.

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>>34451233
FA-50

>>34453332
Point? What point? I only see retard with shit taste sperging about how much he hates the Gripen, and that is should not be sold anywhere, ever.

>>34453509
This is coming from the guy who was referring to nations that field the F16 as "poorfags." The point was that, no serious war fighting nation will buy the gripen. You then proceeded to cite the fact that Switzerland ALMOST procured a token amount of them. Admit it, you know you're wrong about the gripen being anything more than a dying country's attempt to stay relevant in the field of modern military aviation, I know you're wrong, and so does everyone who's been following this thread. Go back to school and work on your reading comprehension little Sven.

>>34453564
Says somebody who brought F-15 and F-18 into the equation. By the way, Switzerland will be replacing their F-18s as well. But you are still refusing to acknowledge that there is handful of countries that already ordered the Gripen, there is even more who wants to get some later on, and then there are countries too poor to get it. And these will rather have old F-16s from the countries that are switching to F-35. Where am I wrong again?
You need to go back to school, or read my posts really carefully again, little Tyrone.

They already have an airforce protecting them - it's called the RAF.

Hawks or Scorpions.

There's literally no budget for proper fighter planes. the entire Irish defence forces has a budget of $1.1b

>>34451373
>super hornet
Too expensive for them m8, they could get F-35s for not much more.

Realistically they should consider FA-50s and Gripens.

>>34453564
He's right though. Any country that is still buying F-16s is only doing so because:
>either they're not allowed to buy F-35s
Or
>they're too poor to buy F-35s.

People that buy Gripens are also poor, though. Gripen is good for euro countries that are too Jewish to actually spend money on their own defence budget, as its cheap to own and operate while still being compatible with NATO munitions.

Not as good as the F-16, but cheap.

>>34451233

Buy

CHINESE
H
I
N
E
S
E

Literally just get some Chengdu F-7s and AAM-2 clones for bargain basement prices (like 100K a pop) and call it a day.

Buy destroyers equipped for helo ops.

Arm helos.

Everything else can be acomplished with drones. Paddies don't need an AF.

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>>34451982
Did somebody say potato?

>>34451233
If ever there was a nation thay should adopt the scorpion

>>34451331
The only thing boeing is making are growlers and supers.

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>>34451233
Okay I would recommend getting our economy back together first. Personally I agree with Justin Barrett and the National Party that we should have a stronger military, but primarily we should have an armed population. We currently have no need for jet fighters as our air corps is used mainly for transport of the Army and sometimes the Gardaí Emergency Response Units. The Air Corps also assists in search and rescue. Although I would absolutely love to see jet fighters in the Air Corps.

>>34451233
buy a RAF subscription

>>34451233
Hornet is a good plane, but it was designed to be carrier based and Ireland does not have carriers. The Aussies don't have flat-tops either but fly hornets to achieve better force projection into surrounding waters.

If the Irish want to upgrade to jets, but are on a budget and not terrible concerned about projection into the Atlantic, the F-16 would be an obvious choice. With good avionics, engines, and pilot training F-16s are not to be taken lightly and are the cheapest non-slavshit option.

>>34456975
You wouldn't need a military if you armed the people cuck. All politicians are too scummy to understand that.

No nation state is going to invade Ireland - an upgrade at this time is unnecessary.

Ireland needs to do the following.

1. Irexit - leave the EU before Merkel fancies itself a nation and views leaving as sedition.
2. Get rid of the EU migrants and third world vermin trickling in.
3. Boost LEO and civil defense

>>34453937
Fucking eurotrash, keep shilling your shitty plane that SAAB literally had to bribe people to buy.

>>34457744
You a Yank? Ireland's economy took off because of the EU. Immigrants, especially from mainland Europe helped fuel their economic growth. For what purpose to boost """"LEO"""" (stop using this, you sound like a cowadooty 12 y.o.). They have plenty civil defense. Any country invading Ireland will have to deal with the UK. Stop drinking the divorcee liar radioshow koolaid.

>>34457956
>being a literal Jew

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>>34453205
Indonesia-tier MPA upgrade could be a good idea. How many of those helicopters are equipped for winch rescue? Otherwise its OK I guess.

Being serious I would remove small fixed wing fleet completely, be left with 5-13 fixed wing seats to fill, a small number that can be handled ad-hoc. Yes- I am a philistine, no- they are bling and not necessary.

>>34457994
>muh gdp

Fuck off

>>34457744
What it needs to do is join Britain. Leaving the UK and staying in the EU was the biggest mistake it ever made. Brits ran those potato fucks way better than they could've run themselves.

>>34451250
this

>>34451331
>"reasonably" priced upgrade package

You could throw a glass cockpit and an AESA radar on some boneyard junk, but ultimately the Engine and airframe will still be shot to shit and 40 years old.

It's like be buying a 1980s car with 300'000 km on the clock, then spending thousands of dollars re-doing the interior with a modern infotainment system and re-upholstering everything.

>>34451250
Yeah, you say that but the Anglo gets a boner for the old days every now and then.

>>34451233

Super Tucanos with Spud Guns mounted on all the pylons.

>>34460178
Super Tucano is just angry Pilatus.

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Irland should purchase the Taiwanese AIDC F-CK-1 aka the FUCK-1. It's basically a modern F-5. Small, cheap, and dependable.