page_title: Irish Army
section_title: Weapons
hierarchical_section_title: Irish Army / Weapons
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reviews the Irish Honor Guard at Brugha Barracks in Dublin, Aug. 31, 2012.
context_page_description: The Irish Army, known simply as the Army, is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 7,300 men and women served in the Irish Army on a permanent basis as of May 2016, and there were 1,600 active reservists, divided into two geographically organised brigades. As well as maintaining its primary roles of defending the State and internal security within the State, since 1958 the Army has had a continuous presence in peacekeeping missions around the world. The Army also participates in the European Union Battlegroups. The Air Corps and Naval Service support the Army in carrying out its roles.
context_section_description: The Army has historically purchased and used weapons and equipment from other western countries, mainly from European nations. Ireland has a very limited arms industry and rarely produces its own armaments.
  From its establishment the Army used the British-made Lee–Enfield .303 rifle, which would be the mainstay for many decades. In the 1960s some modernisation came with the introduction of the Belgian-made FN FAL 7.62 mm battle rifle. Since 1989 the service rifle for the Army is the Austrian-made Steyr AUG 5.56 mm assault rifle (used by all branches of the Defence Forces).
  Other weapons in use by the Army include the USP 9mm pistol, M203 grenade launcher, FN MAG machine gun, M2 Browning machine gun, Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifles, AT4 SRAAW, FGM-148 Javelin Anti-tank guided missile, L118 105mm Howitzer, and RBS 70 Surface to Air Missile system.
caption: Army parade (march past) with Steyr AUG service rifles in service dress
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