Niall O'Connor

THE FRENCH OWNED company set to supply Ireland with primary radar has said the units will be containerised and can be moved on trucks as it reveals key details for the first time.

The company said the units are the Ground Master 400 Alpha and shorter-range Master 200 multi-mission radar systems and will be delivered to Ireland in 2027.

The Journal revealed last month that the Irish government had signed the acquisition orders for a multi-million euro primary radar project with a French arms manufacturer.

A report looking at the shortcomings of the Irish military, The Commission on the Defence Forces, identified the lack of primary radar as a major failing. This is the first of the large scale expensive projects to get green lit by the government. 

The estimated cost could top out at €500 million, but the exact figures have not been revealed as yet. In July the government and Defence Minister Helen McEntee completed the final business case plan for the project which will cost between €300 million and €500 million.

The project has three main elements: land-based long-range primary radar, ground-based air defence systems which will include an anti-drone system, and maritime radar for naval ships. 

As previously revealed also that Irish officials were examining a so-called government-to-government approach to expedite the purchase of the military equipment. 

It is understood that the French government have been involved in extensive sales pitches to Ireland. It benefits France in two ways: firstly the Thales company benefits but also the manufacture of the units in France means that the State receives heightened corporation taxes.

The acquisition order is the purchase order with the French government’s Armed Forces Ministry and the Direction Générale de l’Armement which is an agency that handles French military procurement. 

This morning Thales said in a statement that its ability to scale up production rapidly means that the first units would arrive in Ireland next year.  

Thales is clearly benefiting from the major increase in defence spending across Europe and beyond with 300 radars sold to 40 countries.

The radar the French firm is providing has a short time for processing and identifying targets, and it can still be used when there is a lot of interference or “clutter”. 

The Ground Master 200 unit which has also been purchased.

The unit fits into a 20-foot container, equipped with an integrated lifting system, and capable of rapid deployment. This is a key development and will allow Irish military personnel move the units should there be an incident.

It can be deployed in just 15 minutes with its antenna and power unit all in a small enough package. It also has a wide field of view and has the capability to track low and high altitude suspicious aircraft. 

The French company said it has done this from key battlefield learnings and to increase survivability. In other words it can be moved rapidly to avoid attack if a security environment worsens. 

Martin Soegaard, country director Thales Denmark, Ireland, Iceland & Baltics, said that Thales has worked with Ireland to come up with the package to provide Ireland with “the nation’s first fully Recognised Air Picture, thereby supporting Ireland’s national awareness, security and sovereignty”.

Thales employs 85,000 in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion.