THE GAPS IN Ireland’s defence structures are myriad and the Commission on the Defence Forces lays it out in stark reality.

The much-awaited report was launched in the presence of Defence Minister Simon Coveney at the Curragh yesterday. 

Its key recommendations would, amongst a range of sweeping changes, overhaul military hierarchy, create a larger navy and introduce more aircraft (you can read an overview of the findings in our news piece from the launch here). 

There is nothing that security experts would regard as a particularly new suggestion in this report – many of the measures have been put forward by representative bodies for officers and enlisted members in recent years.

But in its totality the Commission document reads as a critique of what many in the ranks regard as a complete abandonment by successive governments of the State’s security and military capability.

This has been accepted by Minister for Defence Simon Coveney in what can only be a regarded as a mea culpa on behalf of the government.

The report contains three tiers of proposed delivery – marked as Level of Ambition – the first tier keeps the forces at the same capacity it is today, LOA Two will see a 50% increase in funding while LOA Three is the ultimate dream scenario for Defence. 

In all three spheres, naval, air and ground forces, there is a threadbare coverage that barely hides the blushes of those who try to make do with our available resources. 

The State’s ability to protect it’s 3,171kms of coastline and the 260km width of our Exclusive Economic Zone was shown to be non existent by the planned activities of a few Russian vessels in recent weeks. 

LÉ Samuel Beckett on patrol. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

Navy

The Commission set about its work in a methodical manner and its first findings identified two major threats in the maritime domain.

Firstly, interruptions to our sea lanes or strategic ports – and secondly to the sub-surface communications cable infrastructure running close to our coast.

This island nation depends on its sea trade routes. Keeping Ireland’s sea lanes open during any potential crisis or emergency is vitally important to the country’s survival and prosperity.

To win any war supply lines must be severed and in previous world conflicts the seabed around Ireland’s coast was littered with the tragedy of naval warfare.

There is now a modern communication route below the waves with a significant portion of Europe’s data travelling in cables through Irish waters and the major communications cable between North America and Europe just a few kilometres off-shore.

The Commission has identified this area as a key to Ireland’s sovereignty and capability to protect its global interests.

Recommendations have been sought to the Defence Forces’ protection of the country’s strategic ports – the proposal would ramp up security at the locations with military personnel.

There is also a proposal to protect sub-sea communications cables which pass through the Irish waters.  

To make this recommendation a success it will require a significantly increased Navy, possibly to 12 ships, and the doubling of the Naval Reserve with new part-time units in Galway, the north west and the north east. The reservists will serve much of their time playing a critical role in port security.

The Commission has also called for an increased naval presence within the 12 mile limit of our territorial waters and EEZ with the development of a comprehensive maritime surveillance network using commercial and EU satellites, drones, coastal radar systems and other technologies.

The report calls for at least two naval vessels capable of detecting and clearing mines and maritime improvised explosive devices.

One of the more eye-opening recommendations is for a limited number of coastal defence systems such as anti-ship missiles to counter hostile threats and secure access routes to Irish ports in any crisis.

This is at the very cutting edge of a deterrent and is sure to be met with incredulity by those opposed to militaristic responses.

The commission is also recommending investment in sub-surface surveillance and monitoring capability. There is also a call for remotely-operated underwater vehicles, greater diving capabilities and military sonar for a number of naval ships.

Pilots on board an Irish Air Corps Casa maritime patrol aircraft. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

Air Force

The Air Corps has served the State well but it has suffered what one source termed as a “near death experience” in recent years, with cuts to staffing and aircraft provision.

In many respects this has been caused by a lack of ambition in funding across all categories – from jets to counter incoming threats to the base level requirement of a troop transport capability.

In recent years the Irish Aviation Authority has seen a number of former Air Corps pilots join its ranks and that expertise is noticeable in their submission to the Commission.

The IAA highlighted the critical importance of a need for a ‘policing’ function across Irish-controlled air space, which sees upwards of 75% of all transatlantic flights pass through Irish skies daily.

The Commission noted flights of Russian bombers particularly, which have been conducting so-called training missions down the West coast. This has been declared a significant danger to civilian aircraft, but the Commission has found it causes significant economic disruptions also with delayed or diverted flights.

But there is another more dynamic and less controllable threat – drone traffic used as a weapon. The lone wolf capability of a single individual to close airspace around airports has been identified as a major concern.

Another area of worry is the use of drones against Irish peacekeeping troops in the future.

To counter this airspace threat assessment the Commission recommended the immediate development of primary radar. At present Ireland does not have equipment to detect and monitor every aircraft travelling overhead. 

There is a recommendation for a capability to counter the drone threat and for air defence systems to protect Irish troops overseas and to protect Irish airports. The Commission also recommends that these systems be mobile so they can be deployed at strategic locations at home during emergencies.

Much has been made of the capability of fighter jets to intercept incoming rogue aircraft. It would be a costly endeavour and take more than a decade to get a squadron to the point of readiness but this is seen as a critical aspiration. 

This is one of the more unlikely proposals to see the light of day but it fits in with a broader recommendation around a more densely developed air defence strategy.

The final piece of the puzzle, after radar and other monitoring capabilities have been realised, is fighter jets. Their role would be to respond to incoming aircraft that have been identified as threats.

There is also a recommendation that these fast jets, approximately a squadron size of 12 aircraft, would also be deployed on overseas missions.  

Minister Simon Coveney inspecting a Guard of Honour in the Curragh Camp today Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

Army

Ireland has a deep and complex experience in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and has developed a strategy to respond to marauding terrorist attacks here at home and on overseas missions. 

The Commission has identified terrorism and espionage at home as likely future threats.

They have also identified the continued use of IEDs in conflict areas. The section of the report also looks at the affect of disinformation directed at peacekeeping forces and the  deteriorating environmental conditions as a result of climate change.

Peacekeeping is a major pillar of Government’s position on the UN Security Council – Minister Coveney has, in fact, identified it as a key obligation.

The Commission found that it was critical the Defence Forces be able to offer state of the art protection to troops deployed abroad in order to maintain continued public support for peacekeeping missions. 

This protection, as identified by the Commission, includes up-to-date intelligence tracking of threats and also the ability to quickly rescue or reinforce troops if needed with transport aircraft.

The key recommendations in this area is to provide this enhanced protection via a modern Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) fleet for the army.

APCs are used to ferry troops in hostile areas and will have a dedicated group of soldiers which can deploy either on patrols or in Quick Reaction Forces to deal with issues as they arise. 

It forms a major tactical component of Ireland’s mechanised military.  

Irish Army Mowag Armoured Personnel Carriers. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The Commission also called for the strengthening of military intelligence and cyber capabilities to counter espionage and hybrid threats at home and to support peacekeepers overseas.

A greater airlift capability was also recommended with the procurement of at least one transport aircraft and the development of pooling and sharing arrangements with European airlift initiatives suggested. 

This issue was raised at the time of the Kabul mission to rescue Irish citizens in Afghanistan when Army Ranger Wing operators were forced to hitch lifts to the country and rescued civilians were carried by French and Finnish aircraft.

Special Forces

Army Ranger Wing operators during a recent exercise in Dublin. Karl Karl

The Army Ranger Wing (ARW) will, if recommendations are carried through, see a massive growth and refocusing in its remit.

The Special Forces unit will experience increased ability to rapidly deploy to respond to threats here and abroad including the development of specialist units to directly support these teams of operators.

There are recommendations, in the third tier of the Level of Ambition (LOA), for the Ranger Wing to have attack helicopters.

The Commission has identified that it will require a dedicated Special Operations Command or SOCOM which is international best practice in this area. It would mean that the special forces units would be a dedicated area of the Defence Forces and not just a Wing of the Army.

It has also recommended that there be a Special Operations Commander – this rank would have much more control over the activities of the forces and again would follow international best practice.

It will be renamed as Ireland’s Special Operations Force (IRL SOF) with a capability to act rapidly and in conjunction with An Garda Síochána.

Critically it would also have a special operations reserve – a concept already used in the UK Special Air Service.

A reserve capability would add strength in depth and would allow former members as well as specialist members to work with the permanent ARW members when the need arises

Funding

Needless to say this is all dependent on a commitment of funding from the government.

The reality is that this is about bringing the Defence Forces out of the staid and neglected era. 

Many officers are of the view that if Ireland is to be taken seriously as a member of organisations such as the UN Security Council then the base level should be a military that can function at the level of other small nations. 

Whether that is possible or not will entirely depend on the Department of Defence and their ability to lobby Government to accept the need for a reimagining of Oglaigh na hÉireann.