Israeli arms manufacturers will be permitted to bid on a contract to supply drones to the Irish Army, despite Government “reservations” over previous purchases of military equipment from the country.
The Defence Forces already uses a wide variety of Israeli-made military equipment, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), advanced targeting equipment, ground radar systems and communications systems.
In March, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin expressed “reservations” in the Dáil over the procurement of military equipment from Israel but said Ireland follows international law in this regard. He was speaking in the context of Israel’s invasion of Gaza which has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths, including many civilians.
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Now, the Defence Forces Corps of Engineers is seeking a supplier for 14 drones for “surveillance, survey, inspection and search and rescue by day and night” as well as other tasks considered classified.
The unarmed drones will be capable of feeding video back to the operator and must be capable of functioning in “security-sensitive” areas and areas where GPS signals are blocked. According to tendering documents the estimated cost will be €600,000 over 12 months.
The tendering process is at an early stage but military sources said Israeli arms companies would be well-positioned to secure the contract. Israel is considered a world leader in drone technology and its military frequently uses UAVs to carry out strikes, including a strike which damaged two Irish Defence Forces vehicles in Lebanon earlier this month.
Ireland has paid more than €8.5 million to Israeli arms manufacturers in the last decade, including at least €4.5 million, excluding VAT, to Aeronautics Defence Industries, a military drone manufacturer owned by the Israeli government through its parent company, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.
Aeronautics Defence Industries drones have played a central role in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. Ireland continues to pay the company €295,000 a year for support and maintenance of Defence Forces drones.
In response to queries, the Department of Defence said there were no restrictions on Israeli companies bidding for the new contract and that, despite Government criticism, “there has been no change of policy regarding Defence Forces use of Israeli-made military equipment”.
It said it must comply with EU law regarding tenders “to ensure fair competition, transparency and equal treatment between suppliers”, a spokesman said.
“Such tender competitions are open to any company or country subject to the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. There are no such restrictions or embargoes in place on Israel or Israeli companies.”
Among EU countries, Ireland has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s war in Gaza which was launched in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7th last year. Along with Spain and Norway, Ireland recognised Palestinian statehood in May.
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It has also called for a review of EU trade agreements with Israel and has joined a case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Genocide Convention.
However, critics have called for the Government to go further and enact the Occupied Territories Bill which would ban all goods and services produced in illegal Israeli settlements.
They have also called for an end to the export of Irish-made dual-use products – goods which have both military and civilian uses – to Israel.
In the first nine months of the war in Gaza, Ireland exported €53 million worth of dual-use goods to Israel, mostly computer hardware and software.
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