3 New Navy Vessels for Irish Naval Service

Larbre34

But all remains on paper, at least until Houlders produce a firm recommendation.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119895588#Comment_119895588

The Cynic in me says then there will be another reason for the choice to be punted...

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119896039#Comment_119896039

In completely unrelated news, HMNLS Karel Doorman is due in Cork next weekend. Her 2nd visit.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119896327#Comment_119896327

Only 150 to crew it which is not to bad. If we went down that road we could get are crews trained up with the Dutch and german crews

jonnybigwallet

I see that the Spanish are replacing 5 frigates quite soon. The ones that are being replaced are a bit long in the tooth. 30 years old. Might be able to pick up one or two at a decent price. They've been well maintained and progressively upgraded...

mupper2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119897437#Comment_119897437

Besides their age and they have been hard used, their crewing levels are too much,. 200+.

Dohvolle

The Ex USN ones? They were old tech when they were new. Awful ships.

roadmaster

Since it looks like DL will be a new naval base would the MRV be able to use the old Ferry loading area

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119896612#Comment_119896612

150 to actively crew the ship.

150 more bodies to operate the air wing, medical and humanitarian services and other temporary and modular operations.

She's also 205 metres long and 28,000 tons with space to operate 6 x helis.

Far too rich for our blood then, but a magnificent ship all the same and hopefully will inspire some functionality in the design recommended by Houlders for Ireland.

thomil

Some of the other ships in the task force might be more in our ballpark. Karel Doorman is going to be accompanied by two frigates (HNLMS De Seven Rpovincien, HNMLS Van Amstel) and the Holland-class patrol vessel HNLMS Groningen according to the shipping schedule on the Port of Cork website. That's got to be the biggest naval visit down here in Cork in years.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119898053#Comment_119898053

Whats the visit for?

Dohvolle

They heard the best beer is brewed in Cork.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119898441#Comment_119898441

Lies it use to be Dundalk!!

thomil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119898255#Comment_119898255

Don't know. Someone must owe them money or something...

On a more serious note, Karel Doorman and Seven Provinzien were apparently off on exercises with the USS Gerald Ford and her battle group. I think it's just a courtesy call and R&R stop after those exercises, with a bit of showing the flag and not a small part of marketing by Damen thrown in as well likely.

sparky42

I’d say the market element is the main reason, makes me wonder what Damien knows that we don’t?

Larbre34

It strikes me as unlikely that a entire flotilla / task force unit would make a courtesy call, given the costs of fuelling and resupply these days.

Could it be a provisioning and shore-leave stop, ahead of a stint patrolling the Celtic Sea cable and pipeline routes?

thomil

At least for two of the ships, the Van Amstel and De Zeven Provincien, that could very much be the case, as they're both pretty good ASW platforms. Groningen and Karel Doorman are probably heading home, given that one is a support ship geared towards amphibious operations and the other is an offshore patrol vessel that has spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and is slated for a refit back home anyway at least if the news stories I found on Google are anything to go by.

roadmaster

I see the EU on behalf of the sea fisheries agency have started carrying out fisheries patrol on the west coast using this time a diamond aircraft as well as there own ship. This is because the navy cant commit to fishery patrols

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914267#Comment_119914267

Or maybe its because it was never their primary role in the first place. There are 3 Diamond and an SKA 200 being used I believe. Long overdue time the SFPA got the purse out. Been getting it for free from the Defence forces for decades.

Tabnabs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914267#Comment_119914267

They have been carrying out these patrols for quite some time. A fine offshore industry ship has been on patrol in Irish waters doing the job alone and has now been joined by aircraft. These ships are designed to stay at sea for extended periods in the worst conditions and with cost effective crewing. You could argue that the EU should be paying for fisheries patrol in its members waters. You could also argue that the Irish government should have accessed that funding to do the job themselves.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914307#Comment_119914307

Is there not a SLA in place with the dept of marine to pay for the service?

Larbre34

Defence Forces shouldn't have a core involvement in Fisheries protection anymore anyway, in my opinion.

If our Navy is starved of manpower, as it is, then the hours we do have available should be for security and national defence tasks, not economic ones. The EU service should take over the job for the entire Union, with the national navies available as muscle if any particular situation demands it.

roadmaster

I see our Dutch friends will be receving a protest from the peace clowns at the weekend

Hopefully are dutch friends are better trained the british crew that where here last went the so called protestor confronted them

Larbre34

Go on then, what happened with the Brits?

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119918976#Comment_119918976

Did you not see the video? Some clown walked up the gangway protesting. The crew had no cop on mouthing away at him in the video instead of keeping mouth shut very unprofessonal. The Snco or officer in charge should have not let them engage with the clown and simply waited for the guards to deal with it as they did in the end.

By engaging with these clowns you only give them what they want

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119919036#Comment_119919036

The same tosspot got about 500 votes in the local elections a few years back. And he lives in one of the leafier cork suburbs, with an electorate of around 32000.

Only the bible basher from Aontu and the PBP guy did worse.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119919566#Comment_119919566

Isn't he one of the langers that was going around trying to change any address that was "too British", and complaining about the English Market?

roadmaster

So is it a Friendly visit or a Dutch sales trip?

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119919767#Comment_119919767

Can't it be both?

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119919757#Comment_119919757

The very one (some of these "patriots, are blind to History, as the English Market famously saved the people of the city from starvation during the famine, and was named as such to distinguish it from the nearby Irish market on Cornmarket Street).