Ireland and the "European Iron Dome": Avoiding a Costly Mistake
Azure Forum Strategic Insight 008/2025
By Joseph Dillon, Junior Fellow at the Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy
The Irish government has embarked on a long-term effort to modernise and strengthen its Defence Forces, outlining plans to acquire primary radar, air defence systems, and anti-drone capabilities. As part of this ambitious and complex procurement programme, officials have acknowledged Ireland is considering participation in the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). This is a German-led project aimed at closing gaps in NATO’s air defences and establishing a so-called “European Iron Dome”. The initiative risks undermining joint European Union procurement efforts, fails to address key strategic challenges in a cost-effective way, and would destabilise the logic of nuclear deterrence.