Irish Military Development & Procurement

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In light of the ongoing conflict with the United Kingdom and the failure of the annual national referendum to call general elections, further military expenditure has been budgeted for the new year. Several more regiments have been commissioned to be raised for the army and the air force has been authorised additional fighters.

The ongoing expansion of the fleet continues, with several more assault ships and submarines being laid down and replacement strike fighters ordered.

The pursuit of nuclear technologies has been approved, a facility outside Tralee, County Kerry is under construction.

Lastly, most of the hulls laid down last year are expected to be operational by next year, exception being the pair of carriers.

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An improved version of the army's primary infantry fighting vehicle, the BTR-60, has made it through trials and is in the process of being phased in. The upgrade is a substantial improvement, but only as a result of the current model having been found to be... wanting.

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Modernisation of the newly incorporated states being a high priority, numerous infrastructure projects are underway, with several under the purvey of military engineers. One such project is the launch complex for the newly formed Stiúrthóireacht Aeraspás Ceilteach, located on the Isle of Wight.

Compared to last year's budget for new forces, this year's is modest, with a small expansion to the air force and a number of hulls, large and small, for the naval service, including two new aircraft carriers. Most of this year's budget has been put towards construction efforts.

The army has put out a tender for new small arms, looking for a modern service rifle chambered in an intermediate cartridge and a light machine gun in the same. Initial trials are scheduled for next year.

[Avalanche]

Following a session of the Oireachtas that was more formality than anything, additional funding for construction efforts has been authorised, but, rather than for domestic projects, as foreign aid to our comrades in Iran. Humanitarian aid is the primary focus, with a number of engineers, workers, machines, and goods also to be sent to help in the rebuilding efforts. Close cooperation with the SRA's assistance will be made, to smooth along the process.

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The army's rifle trials saw a handful of entrants, with the Kalashnikov, ArmaLite, and FN offerings seeming shoe-ins for adoption. However, none of them were to be the Celts' new rifle. The ArmaLite representative had brought along a prototype of their upcoming AR-18, and the ordnance board had fallen head over heels and negotiated a contract for the rifle on the range. However, it was not ready for mass production, let alone military service, yet and would require more time. Fortunately, the light machine gun that was adopted, an offering by a dutch ammunition company, was a modular design with an acceptable rifle configuration, and so it would be used as an interim rifle as well until the ArmaLite design was ironed out.

In other small arms news, while the army was conducting their trials, the Army Rangers began procurement of a new submachine gun, produced by the up-and-coming Heckler & Koch and utilising a novel delayed blowback system shared with their G3 battle rifle.

This year also saw the introduction of two new vehicles for the army and marines - the new FT-66 tank for the cavalry and IP-66 carriage for the dragoons.

[Avalanche]

With things cooling down for the Union at the moment, the Oireachtas has finally saw fit to approve the creation of a proper intelligence agency to better serve our leaders and generals in light of the poor showings during the bloody opening hours of the great liberation, the late assistance that might have saved Iran, and most recently the frankly lucky performance in the American theatre. To this end, the Stiúrthóireacht na gCumhachtaí Eachtracha a Shárú has been established to unify the various ad-hoc quasi-organisations that preceded it, though its authorised size and powers are officially unpublished as part of the government's also newly formalised information classification system. With the Stisha behind us, it is the hope of many, as naïve as it may be, that we shall never be caught unawares again.

In other news, developments of our nuclear power research programme has graced us with reactors suitable for shipboard use. The most immediate application will be the full replacement of our submarine fleet with nuclear-powered craft, though there is great potential for many more possible naval applications, such as aboard freighters, warships, or perhaps even aircraft carriers. The future is bright, and its way is lit by the atom.

[Avalanche]

An agreement to begin conducting combined arms wargames in sea, land, and air with our comrades in Iran has been put through. The First Army, Fourth and Fifth Air Groups, as well as Carrier Group Audacious, Expeditionary Group Gwydion, and Strike Group Northumbria have been assigned to participate in the exercises.

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The theme of this year's budget is replacements, many of which involve multi-year plans. Among them, the FT-62 with the FT-66 in the main battle tank role, the IP-60/63 with the IP-66 in the mechanised infantry combat vehicle role, the C-54 with the C-66 in the infantry rifle role, the M-61 with the M-66 in the section support role, the M-50 with the M-65 in the rear echelon defence role, the Ta-62 with the Ta-67 in the air support role, and the Adjudicator and Vanguard classes with the Vindicator class in the fleet support role.

Besides this, the procurement of a helicopter suited for a dedicated ground attack role and the further development of applications for nuclear reactors are top priorities as construction projects and recruitment efforts wind down. As well, the raising of a second battalion for the Fiannóglaigh and another reserve regiment have been ordered. Finally, a number of additional frigate commissions have been authorised for the naval service.

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As a footnote, the first proper budget for the Sterac was approved, greenlighting a number of unmanned projects.