Israeli arms manufacturers will be allowed to submit bids in a tender aimed at supplying drones to the Irish Army, despite Ireland's openly anti-Israel stance since the beginning of the war in Gaza and its reservations about previous military equipment purchases from Israel, The Irish Times reported on Wednesday.
The Irish Army already uses a wide range of military equipment developed by Israel, including UAVs, ground radar systems and communication systems. In March, Irish Defense Minister Micheal Martin expressed "reservations" about purchasing military equipment from Israel but said Ireland operates in accordance with international law in this context.
It was now reported that the Irish Army’s engineering corps is seeking a supplier for 14 drones for "surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, day and night operations," as well as for other classified missions. According to the tender, the estimated cost will be around €600,000 ($666,828) for one year.
The tender is still in its early stages, but military sources told The Irish Times that Israeli arms companies would be well-positioned to secure the contract, given Israel's reputation as a leader in the field of UAVs.
Over the last decade, Ireland has paid more than €8.5 million ($9.4 million) to Israeli arms manufacturers, including at least €4.5 million ($4.95 million) to Aeronautics, an Israeli subsidiary of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It was also noted Ireland continues to pay the company €295,000 ($324,000) annually for UAV maintenance.
Following the report, the Irish Defense Ministry said, "There are no restrictions on Israeli companies submitting new bids," despite government criticism. In May, Ireland, along with Norway and Spain, recognized a Palestinian state. In response, Jerusalem considered closing the Israeli embassy in Ireland.