Irish Defence Forces

News and discussion threads on defence in other parts of the world.
marktigger
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by marktigger »

ROFLMAO good idea

marktigger
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by marktigger »

Not Defence forces but Sad day

Loss of R116 and its Crew

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39264233

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SKB
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by SKB »

Happy St. Patrick's Day to the real, genuine Irish people born on the island of Ireland who possess Irish passports... ;)

marktigger
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by marktigger »

yes there seams to be allot of "plastic" Irish around these days

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Galloglass
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by Galloglass »

It appears that the Aer Chór will be selecting 4 Pilatus 12 to replace it's aging Cessna fleet. Also a replacement PC9 for the one lost.

http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/00-def/ ... pectre.pdf

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

Government here is looking into setting up an independent intelligence agency.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/05 ... y-meeting/

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

An unusually warry video from the DF

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

A recruitment vid, but if you actually classify what they do (other than the driving around in heavily armed vehicles) is in most countries done by police SWAT or CG non-compliant boarding and intervention teams.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:A recruitment vid, but if you actually classify what they do (other than the driving around in heavily armed vehicles) is in most countries done by police SWAT or CG non-compliant boarding and intervention teams.
The Ranger wing is the countries military SOF unit, they have a well rounded skill set from MFF,combat diving, CT/HR to CPO etc and the kit to match...there is no direct recruitment to it. They've been at this for close to 40 years as unit now..
They've rescued hostages in Liberia, been a JSOTF with the NZSAS in East Timor...lots of things over the years..

My point was this is a lot more...kinetic a video then is usual and fits with the announcement the Minister for defence gave when he visited their compound a few days back that their CT/HR role will be bolstered further.
It's an unusually, "these guys may have to be used for something more then peacekeeping one day" kind of message we normally never see here.

BTW we have a national police SIU, the ERU, they've trained quite a lot with various other countries units including your own SCO-19 through the ATLAS network.

Image

Sorry for being long winded... :oops:

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

muttbutt wrote:They've rescued hostages in Liberia, been a JSOTF with the NZSAS in East Timor
Not at all, interesting reading (and they forgot the "join and see the world" dimesion from it).
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

The NS under project AEOLUS is working with various research groups and SMEs to develop an elevated sensor pod, they are currently using a Helikite but the end product will use something else..

Sea trail started yesterday Aboard LE Eithne..

Image

Image

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

Contract signed yesterday for 3 PC-12 NG "Spectres" for ISR....first 2, 2019.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a ... 21630.html

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Jensy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by Jensy »



A surprising proposal for the Irish Defence Forces. Amongst other near term acquisition proposals they list an 'Air Combat Interceptor' in programmes at a pre planning stage (page 13) in the download at the end of the below link:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/9bd58 ... ment-plan/

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

muttbutt wrote:Contract signed yesterday for 3 PC-12 NG "Spectres" for ISR....first 2, 2019.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/a ... 21630.html
Update on that, we bought an extra one in clean config to be a light transport etc so 4 will be in service

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

What's this future ' interceptor'? Leasing Gripens (as the deliveries of the new one to the Swedish AF will start), or taking the Typhoons off the Austrian unenthusiastic hands as they don't seem to be able to support such a small fleet effectively ( a little bit of help from the RAF/ BAE could work wonders)?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

J. Tattersall

Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by J. Tattersall »

While I don't doubt the air corps as professional aviators I do hope they've consisted the scale of the endeavour. If it's a QRA force they're after then is not nearly so simple as keeping a pair of squadron aircraft serviceable for when needed. Keeping the crews combat ready and current, managing the stockpiles of air weapons as lifed air carriage hours are used up every time they scramble, providing an air defence C4ISR network etc, etc all takes effort, and as importantly money which Ireland traditionally doesn't spend on its armed forces.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

J. Tattersall wrote:importantly money which Ireland traditionally doesn't spend on its armed forces
The whole thing came as a surprise (though it is only in the l-t plan doc, and thus might vanish without a trace)
-I wonder if one of those Bears has been knocking on the door and got the Irish annoyed (as there's nothing they, at the present, can do about it)?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

J. Tattersall

Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by J. Tattersall »

At present security of the Irish FIR is de facto outsourced to the RAF. But also what about Irish territorial waters? It must be relatively easy for a Russian SSK/ SSGN to trespass undetected, lay on the seabed and listen into British, French and other NATO assets. Ireland likey wouldn't know of its presence, let alone be able to do anything about it.

Timmymagic
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by Timmymagic »

J. Tattersall wrote:Ireland likey wouldn't know of its presence, let alone be able to do anything about it.
And as a result...should they care?

Running effective ASW operations for an island as large as Ireland would cost a fortune. Ships, helo's, aircraft, HQ, training pipeline, weapons...you name it. It's not going to happen, not unless they join NATO and can tap into share assets. They seem to have an interest in MCM which would be far more useful for them.

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

ArmChairCivvy wrote:What's this future ' interceptor'? Leasing Gripens (as the deliveries of the new one to the Swedish AF will start), or taking the Typhoons off the Austrian unenthusiastic hands as they don't seem to be able to support such a small fleet effectively ( a little bit of help from the RAF/ BAE could work wonders)?
To be honest it's a wish for some undetermined time in the future...there are 50+ things we need before that in various areas. There does seem to be a determined effort to get more advanced SR and LR GBAD radars and new significantly longer ranged SAMs to go with them. We really need a primary radar system to give us a first hand picture of our own airspace.
No point just buying jets if we don't have a clue really of what's happening.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Timmymagic wrote:Running effective ASW operations
Irish Sea probably still qualifies for this thread?
We can delouse the narrow passage that leads out to the Atlantic (and the edge of the continental shelf) of nuclear subs that will have to keep moving... but what if the Ruskies have a conventional (but of AIP type) one sitting quietly on the seabed?
- so that's us; with all the resources we've put into ASW
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

J. Tattersall

Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by J. Tattersall »

Military officers raise concerns over potential use of UK-based aircraft for rescue missions
Air Corps to be excluded from future search and rescue work as service goes out to tender, The Irish Times Fri, Nov 6, 2020, 01:00
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland ... -1.4401313

The Irish Times reports that
Irish officers are concerned about the intelligence implications of allowing UK-based aircraft to collect data over Ireland as they provide top cover for rescue missions.
Reading a bit deeper it seems Irish Air Corps is actually concerned about the potential of one of its roles and thus the Corps' future viability. So perhaps rather than a bit of press anglophobia the real question is whether Ireland actually needs an air corps as part of its military?

topman
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by topman »

I'm not sure what the 'sources' are grasping at. I don't think the fixed wing SAR will have intellence capabilities. I suspect it's a roundabout way of keeping the Irish air Corp viable.

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Tempest414
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by Tempest414 »

There has been talk of new C-295 MPA to replace the C-235 and even getting Gripen to allow QRA

muttbutt
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Re: Irish Defence Forces

Post by muttbutt »

Tempest414 wrote:There has been talk of new C-295 MPA to replace the C-235 and even getting Gripen to allow QRA
The C-295 MPA's have already been budgeted for and ordered...now there have been suggestions popping up that maybe we should keep the C-235's, strip their kit out and use them for transports, buy more 295 for the same or just go get a mothballed Airbus A3XX what have you.

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