Ireland to Provide Giraffe Radars to Ukraine, Enhancing Low-Altitude Threat Detection

Ireland will transfer at least three of its seven Giraffe Mark IV short-range radar systems to Ukraine as part of a non-lethal military aid package, according to Global Defense News on February 24.

Marking a shift in the country’s defense posture amid the Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, the Giraffe Mark IV was developed to protect visiting dignitaries and international summits, originally acquired by Ireland in 2008.

The system, mounted on a BV206 tracked vehicle, has a detection range of up to 50 kilometers and can track up to 20 targets simultaneously. While now surpassed by more advanced detection technologies, the radars remain fully operational and well-suited for early warning coverage in smaller towns and isolated installations, areas identified as high-priority by Ukrainian military commanders.

The decision to provide the radar systems aligns with Ireland’s longstanding policy of supplying only non-lethal aid. The transfer does not include associated surface-to-air missile launchers.

At a recent meeting of European Union foreign ministers, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Simon Harris underscored the necessity of supporting Ukraine, stating, “Russia’s aggression threatens not only Ukraine but all of Europe.”

A team from the Irish Defense Forces will accompany the radars to Ukraine to facilitate integration into Ukraine’s layered air defense network. Once operational, the radars can be linked to various missile systems, expanding Ukraine’s capacity to track and intercept low-altitude threats in areas without high-end defenses such as the U.S.-made Patriot system.

As Ukraine adapts to the evolving battlefield, the deployment of these radars is expected to serve as a critical stopgap, strengthening early warning capabilities until more advanced air defense systems are introduced.

Earlier, Ukraine began using FPV drones to intercept and destroy Russian Shahed drones, an approach that has already shown effectiveness.

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