Military parade: The parade will feature a fleet of newly acquired Mowag 'Piranha' armoured personnel carriers, writes security analyst Tom Clonan
The 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising in 1966 - just prior to the outbreak of the Troubles - was one of the last occasions when the Irish Defence Forces marched on O'Connell Street to commemorate the men and women who fought for the liberation of the State.
Forty years later, as the Defence Forces prepare to participate en masse in tomorrow's commemoration, much has changed within the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps. This change is partly reflected in the range of equipment and weaponry that will be on display this weekend.
As opposed to the infamous "bullswool" uniforms that were worn by Irish troops in the 1960s - and even on early UN missions to countries such as the Congo - tomorrow's ceremonies will see Irish troops wear a range of uniforms from ceremonial service-dress uniforms to state-of-the-art combat uniforms.
The combat uniform currently in service with the Defence Forces consists of the recently acquired camouflage pattern or "disruptive pattern material" (DPM) uniform common to most European and Nato forces. The Irish version consists of a "layered" system of clothing rendering it suitable for service in diverse climates. These would include the freezing conditions - often as low as minus 40 degrees - faced by the Irish on Nato missions in the Balkans, to the extreme heat and humidity experienced by Irish troops operating with the UN and Nato in Liberia and Afghanistan.
The helmets and body armour that will be worn by some of the troops - broadly similar to that worn by US troops in Iraq - afford high levels of protection to soldiers from shrapnel and small arms fire, and are currently on issue to all Irish soldiers on UN and Nato peace-enforcement missions abroad.
In terms of firepower, the parade will feature Javelin anti-tank "smart" missile launchers, the RBS-70 anti-aircraft guided missile system, along with a fleet of newly acquired Mowag "Piranha" armoured personnel carriers.
These armoured vehicles are fitted with digitally controlled battlefield management systems and computerised target-acquisition and fire-control systems.
Personal weapons that will be carried by troops include Steyr automatic rifles, Browning automatic pistols and M203 grenade launchers.
These 21st century weapons are a far cry from the 19th century bolt-action, single-shot rifles that were carried by many volunteers in 1916 - and indeed by many of the Defence Forces soldiers on parade on O'Connell Street in 1966.
The parade will also include a fly-past of newly acquired Air Corps aircraft, including six Pilatus PC-9M close support aircraft. In addition, the Air Corps will display its new Eurocopter EC135 medium-lift helicopters.
These latest aircraft are equipped with internationally standardised flight and combat control systems which render the training of Irish Air Corps pilots on a par with their European and US counterparts in Nato and the European Rapid Reaction Force.
Much of the equipment on display, from automatic weapons to newly acquired armoured vehicles, "smart" missile systems and aircraft, demonstrate how far the Defence Forces have developed in recent decades into a credible military force with a substantial international reputation in peacekeeping and peace enforcement.
The equipment and weaponry on display also emphasises the manner in which the Defence Forces are planning for the future in terms of inter-operability and close co-operation with our EU and Nato counterparts.
It is an army that has changed beyond all recognition from that which paraded in 1966. It is a force, however, that holds true to the ideals and philosophy of the men and women who fought in the Rising and the War of Independence - and as such remains the only legitimate successor within the State to the title Óglaigh na hÉireann.