Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans further to update and modernise military hardware in respect of each branch of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12683/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The acquisition of new equipment for the Defence Forces continues to be a key focus for me as Minister for Defence. I am aware that significant investment has taken place in recent years, and I will continue the good work in that regard.

The unprecedented level of expenditure on equipment for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service was made possible by the Government's decision that pay savings arising from the reorganisation of the Defence Forces set out in the White Paper of 2000, along with proceeds from the sale of surplus properties, would be reallocated for investment in modern facilities and equipment.

Investment in new equipment for the Army, Air Corps and the Naval Service is provided for under various subheads of the Defence Vote relating to defensive equipment, mechanical transport, aircraft, ships and naval stores, engineering, communications and information technology equipment, etc.

The acquisition of light tactical armoured vehicles, or LTAVs, for the Defence Forces has been identified as a key priority by the military authorities for 2005. The LTAVs will complement the work of the 65 Mowag armoured personnel carriers delivered in the last few years at a cost of some €84 million. The final-stage payments for the APCs of €9.6 million will be made in 2005. The tender competition for the acquisition of the LTAVs is now in progress. The precise number of vehicles to be acquired will be confirmed at a later date. The cost of the LTAV programme will be evident only after the tender competition is held.

A contract for the acquisition of the Javelin missile system from Raytheon-Lockheed Martin in the USA at a cost of some €13 million, including VAT, will be fulfilled this year, with the main delivery due this summer. The purpose of the acquisition is to give Defence Forces personnel an effective anti-armour capability while on peace support operations. The system will replace the Milan system.

On the general transport side, the focus will be on the purchase of 0.75-tonne trucks, trailers for the DROPS vehicles, the purchase of a number of EOD trucks and some road ambulances for the Army Medical Corps.

There have been ongoing programmes of acquisitions of both nuclear-biological-chemical, or NBC, equipment and night vision equipment, or NVE, in recent years, and those programmes will continue in 2005 to meet the ongoing requirements of the Defence Forces. That will include the purchase of a further 1,000 NBC suits this year and another 1,000 next year.

The delivery of eight Pilatus training aircraft for the Air Corps at a total cost of €60 million has been completed. The final-stage payment for the aircraft of €7 million will be made this year. The focus for the Air Corps is now on the two contracts for helicopters for a total value of over €61 million, which I had the pleasure of signing recently.

Four Utility AB 139 helicopters are being acquired from the Bell Agusta Aerospace Company at a cost of €48.4 million, including VAT. The four helicopters will be built at the Agusta facility near Milan, Italy. Two AB 139s will be delivered in 2006, and the other two will be delivered in 2007.

Two light Utility EC 135 helicopters are being acquired from Eurocopter SAS at a cost of €12.8 million, including VAT. The two helicopters will be built at Eurocopter's facility in Donauworth, Germany. Both EC 135s are scheduled to be delivered in the latter part of this year.

The Naval Service has also benefited from the investment programme in recent years, with the acquisition of two new modern ships, LE Róisín and LE Niamh, at a cost of some €25 million each.