The purchase of a fleet of armoured vehicles for the Defence Forces that were hardly ever used wasted millions in taxpayer funds, according to the State’s spending watchdog.
The State purchased 27 RG-32M light-armoured tactical vehicles (LTAVs) from BAE Systems in South Africa in 2008. They were designed to fill a capability gap between soft-skinned vehicles and armoured personnel carriers.
Earlier this year, The Irish Times reported that the LTAVs received minimal use during their 14-year lifespan before being retired in 2023.
The vehicles, which suffered frequent mechanical issues, were offered for donation to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This offer was declined as the vehicles were deemed unsuitable for their requirements.
In a report published on Tuesday, the Comptroller and Auditor General stated that the vehicles were withdrawn early from service. When they were purchased, they were expected to be in operation up to 2029.
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“Given the early withdrawal from service of the LTAV vehicles, and their apparent light use while in service, the department and the Defence Forces did not receive the service they expected from the vehicles,” the report said.
“As a result, there was a significant loss of value arising from their purchase.”
It said the loss of value was significantly greater than the €2.7 million writedown of the vehicles in the 2025 financial statements.
The total purchase price for the vehicles in 2008 was just over €20 million including VAT.
An issue was discovered with the vehicles in 2011 that affected their drivetrain. While one vehicle was travelling on the motorway, a drivetrain broke, resulting in the vehicle going on fire, the report said.
The Defence Forces also reported difficulty in sourcing replacement parts. “The procurement of replacement parts was often subject to major delays, affecting repair timelines, vehicle availability, and the efficient sustainment of the fleet,” the report said.
The Department of Defence said there was an issue with the odometer of some of the vehicles, meaning they had to be replaced, resulting in the recorded mileage sometimes being reset to zero. In one case, a vehicle recorded negative mileage.
The Comptroller’s report called this a “serious fleet management control failure”, which should have been rectified at the manufacturer’s expense.
The department said it had “learned lessons from this procurement” and that its procurement processes had evolved significantly since 2008, “with the objective of optimising the life cycle of expensive military equipment it acquires”.
The State is in the early stages of purchasing a fleet of armoured vehicles from France as part of an estimated €500 million deal.