Armed forces - Ireland (original) (raw)

The army and its reserves, the air corps, and the naval service are a small but well-trained nucleus that can be enlarged in a time of emergency. In 2002, the active defense force numbered 10,460 including 200 women, with reserves numbering 14,800. The army of 8,500 consisted of 9 infantry battalions armed with 14 Scorpion Tanks. A navy of 1,100 manned eight patrol craft. The air corps consisted of 860 personnel. Ireland provided support to 11 peacekeeping operations. The defense budget in 2000–2001 was $700 million, or 0.9% of GDP.