Niall O'Connor

THE IRISH DEFENCE Forces is facing a shortage of ammunition amid a global scarcity, due to larger countries buying up stock.

Security sources have said that there are a number of concerns for the effectiveness of the Irish military, particularly as more and more recruits join the ranks.

Such training takes place at ranges across the country and if the situation is not resolved there may be a need to curtail some shoots. 

The shortage is across the ammunition stocks both in large and small calibre rounds. 

It is not the first time this has happened, but sources we spoke to said the situation is particularly difficult for officials purchasing the equipment due to the global shortage. 

Ireland’s procurement of ammunition is dealt with by purchasing officials in the Department of Defence (DOD). The system in Ireland means that officers in the Irish Defence Forces compile a list of what they need, this is forwarded to the DOD which then seeks out the stocks on the international market. 

Sources have said that there is a lot of work needed to liaise with arms manufacturers to get the ammunition.

The wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and Africa, combined with the massive rearmament programmes now in train across the EU mean that it is proving difficult to make the purchases. 

The issues are not just shortages in terms of the actual hardware. Manufacturers across the EU are also struggling to get key ingredients such as propellent, due to a scarcity of chemicals. 

There are several options for the Irish with BAE Systems in Britain manufacturing one million rounds of ammunition daily. 

Rheinmetall, Italian company Leonardo and French firm KNDS are also options. The Irish Government has recently entered into government to government defence procurement agreements with France and Italy.

As one source put it: “Ireland is looking for what a relatively small amount while there are states looking for tens of millions of rounds – the arms manufacturers are looking for big orders.”

An artillery gun and empty ammunition cases following a training shoot. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

The Irish Defence Forces refused to comment on the matter. A Department of Defence spokesman did provide a statement and explained the situation in detail. 

“Ammunition stock keeping and purchase planning is a matter for the Defence Forces and procurement is the responsibility of the Department of Defence, on the basis of the purchase planning.

“The war in Ukraine has increased significantly the demand for defence equipment, including ammunition, thus creating bottlenecks and shortages in defence supply chains right across Europe.

“Increased Defence Force recruitment training has also impacted on the consumption profile.

“In order to mitigate this challenging situation and to ensure that the Defence Forces have a continuous and guaranteed supply of safe and reliable ammunition, the Department of Defence is taking a more collaborative procurement approach to meet these demands, notably through engagement on a government-to-government basis and the use of European Defence Agency framework arrangements, as well as expediting direct procurement,” he said.