The Republic chooses not to have an air defence force for political not economic reasons, this is the country with the second or third highest per capita GDP in the world (depending on source) but its politicians chose to use that GDP to enrich the shareholders of multinationals. They spend c.0.25% of GDP on defence and expect 63% of its population to pay €50+ to visit a GP (unlike £0 for its neighbour). At some point these corporations may wake up to the fact they are in a country that can't protect the cables they rely on. Regarding air defence, as long as the government is in the hands of politicians who are prepared to rely on and facilitate AD by their neighbour there is no need for indigenous FJ capability, get a party in power that would have no truck with RAF overflights or RN ships then there might be some tough conversations with Washington.
The Baltic States have a combined population smaller than Ireland's, GDPs per head of c0.25% of the Republic's and contribute between c.2.25% and 2.75% of that GDP to defence. In the field of Air Defence they choose to spend it on radar and limited SAM capability.
P.S. Costa Rica and Panama have military forces, they just choose to call them something else.
Last edited by SLXOwft; 8th Feb 2024 at 16:32.
Reason: 0.25