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  • Imi

    IMI is of course better known as the acronym for Israeli Military Industries but what is the state of the current Irish military industries? I know you aren't coming down with defense contractors but plenty of civilian companies of other types could turn their hand to military use. Of course you have no ability to design a full aircraft from scratch at the minute (admit it, as proud as you are the only Irishmen that could design a decent new aircraft were Short Brothers about 30 years ago).Which industries and businesses, or even university engineering departments, does Ireland have that don't belong to big international consortiums that Ireland could rely on to have the technical ability to design pats for aircraft, design electronics kit etc with sufficient quality to be useful and equal to parts from the "big" manufacturers.
    For instance Serbia and Montenegro just built themselves a shiny new UAV with a 25 hp piston engine, booster rocket for launch, stealth characteristics, auto stabilised low light TV camera a vertical camera, and a parachute to recover it in areas lacking landing facilities, an assets the IAC would find very useful.Could Ireland produce something like this if it needed to.If this seems too simple could you turn a CASA295 into an MC130 class plane for the IAC if you wanted to?
    I'm curious since your government won't cough up for new military standard aircraft but could you turn cheaper civilian versions into more capable aircraft or adapt a non military aircraft into something useful?
    Si vis pacem para bellum

  • #2
    I'm fairly sure that the Short Brothers were not Irish.

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    • #3
      Dude, I'll say it again. Theres a lot of things 'we' could do, but the funding does not exist.

      only Irishmen that could design a decent new aircraft

      If you'd any idea of the amount of engineering experience, aviation related and otherwise, across the Irish economy, you'd haul that statement in fairly quickly. The key fact here is not the lack of expertise, but the lack of any domestic interest in such projects.

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      • #4
        Ah, good old FTD is back for more :D

        FTD, old buddy, old pal, Im afraid its down quite simply to lack of
        1. public and private sector interest,
        2. lack of government interest and
        3. a major lack of funding.

        This is a country where the position of Minister for Defence is a laughable ministerial position seen as a title that no other minister wants, quite simply because your hands are tied from day one, you toe the finance ministers line, do as he says, keep the defence forces low rofile and out of the news and the govt may be good enough to get you out of the department of defence after the next election.
        "He is an enemy officer taken in battle and entitled to fair treatment."
        "No, sir. He's a sergeant, and they don't deserve no respect at all, sir. I should know. They're cunning and artful, if they're any good. I wouldn't mind if he was an officer, sir. But sergeants are clever."

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        • #5
          I wasn't saying you should do it.I'm just wondering if it is possible.I dont know what the full technical abilities of the Irish industries were except an awareness of the resurgence of the Irish economy taking place during the "Celtic Tiger" years of economic growthand thus changes in the abilities of Irish businesses. And would people please start taking notice of the word COULD in my posts, as in my making a statement of a theoretical idea, as opposed to acting like I'm telling you what you should be doing.I'm just trying to bring a few new topics of discussion here, such as the ability of Irish industry to support and adapt aircraft to IAC needs over the service life of the airframe rather than reliance on outside expertise.Also, ok, the Shorts Brother themselves weren't Irishmen but the factory was on this island so give me some creative license.
          Si vis pacem para bellum

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          • #6
            xxxxx
            Last edited by Guest; 22 November 2004, 15:22.

            "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."


            Marcus Aurelius Roman Emperor (161 to 180 A.D.)

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            • #7
              If we were pushed there are several aviation companies that could change their current civilian production to a more military orientated stance. There is an aerospace engineering degree in Limerick that could produce graduates who could undoubtadly design a plane or modify or adapt or whatever.

              In short, AS ALREADY MENTIONED, the expertise is there, there infrastructure is there to a degree, there is just no need or impetus to justify the massive startup costs necessary to begin this type of operation. And short of some sort of "Day-of-the-Dead-everywhere-else-in-the-world-only-zombies" type thing, it is far more economical, smarter, easier etc etc to buy from abroad.

              An indigenous arms industry was once discussed on the general thread.

              -Y
              Meh.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by yooklid
                There is an aerospace engineering degree in Limerick that could produce graduates who could undoubtadly design a plane or modify or adapt or whatever.
                I talked to a few students on that course and they were working on the idea of a UAV - unmanned aerial vehicle, similiar to the Predator. While it was only a research project, they were convinced that such a industry would work within Ireland (outside of the legal considerations of weapons exporting).

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                • #9
                  Predator w/Hellfire Missile
                  Attached Files

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                  • #10
                    i suppose the LimerickPredator would get its first operational trials in certain areas of de ciddy...
                    "Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here...this is the War Room!"

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                    • #11
                      xxxxx
                      Last edited by Guest; 22 November 2004, 15:22.

                      "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."


                      Marcus Aurelius Roman Emperor (161 to 180 A.D.)

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