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Ireland uk defence

  • 05-03-2014 04:17AM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,461 ✭✭✭✭


    Been googleling for a while is there a plan if things go south in Europe ? or will Ireland stay neutral doubt a foreign power would stop at the uk . Any ideas ? And no this is not a tinfoil hat one just thinking out loud or should i not


    merge if needed


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Have a drink me old mucker? Mine's a brandy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,720 ✭✭✭Sir Arthur Daley


    Are you on about flood defence systems from the recent floodings? In my opinion they should not have built houses in floodplains, all can do now is buy a few 330DL Cats and start dredging the rivers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,461 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    Have a drink me old mucker? Mine's a brandy.

    Iodine tablets or white coach paint may work better


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    Iodine tablets or white coach paint may work better
    Na, both of them make me doolally. Brandy keeps me coherent.:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,724 ✭✭✭mixery


    defence wins championships. ireland should play 5 at the back against england.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,461 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    mixery wrote: »
    defence wins championships. ireland should play 5 at the back against england.

    That may work well but it's about Ireland and the uk, were would you put our 7k troops Dublin ?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,724 ✭✭✭mixery


    touche


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    We don't want Defences, we're balls deep in debt, maybe we'll get invaded by somewhere rich. Norway or Sweden would be nice, we should start some **** with them! We should get Enda to go all Ahmadinejad and threaten to wipe them off the map.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,461 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    We don't want Defences, we're balls deep in debt, maybe we'll get invaded by somewhere rich. Norway or Sweden would be nice, we should start some **** with them! We should get Enda to go all Ahmadinejad and threaten to wipe them off the map.

    Don't think it works without nukes


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,720 ✭✭✭Sir Arthur Daley


    Don't think it works without nukes

    The Cats run on Diesel, about 4.3mpg.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭irishmover


    Have we not got a team of men invading Norway and Sweden as we speak? Inseminating all their women and all that craic.

    You know, how we've invaded all those other countries.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭smellslikeshoes


    If it ever got to the stage where the UK was properly under attack there would be so many nukes flying around from all involved that it would probably be an end of the world scenario and a defence plan wouldn't be a whole lot of use. :P


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,461 ✭✭✭✭darkpagandeath


    If it ever got to the stage where the UK was properly under attack there would be so many nukes flying around from all involved that it would probably be an end of the world scenario and a defence plan wouldn't be a whole lot of use. :P

    Depends I can only think of the Russians tossing them about if NATO pushed them back to Moscow. Using conventional weapons EU would never lob them about don't think even the uk would just toss them about either


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    If it ever got to the stage where the UK was properly under attack there would be so many nukes flying around from all involved that it would probably be an end of the world scenario and a defence plan wouldn't be a whole lot of use. :P


    So basically Ireland's Defense plan is this:



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,298 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Ireland's defence plan is based on a realistic assessment.

    A realistic assessment of Ireland's strategic position is that there is no way that Ireland could defeat, or even hold off for very long, an enemy capable of overcoming British defences. Consequently it would be a collossal waste of effort and resources, and a distraction from attainable objectives, to try and build up such a capacity.

    In terms of the defending national territory against an invader, the Irish defence forces' objective is simply to be able to offer armed resistance, so that an invader/occupier can't simply march in without a shot fired. Their occupation would be delegitimised by the fact that they had to invade by force, and overcome resistance. Secondly, they would hope to offer resistance for long enough to buy some time for diplomatic and political endeavours to be played out. Thirdly, they would hope to be able to fall back to a model of guerilla/irregular resistance to an occupier.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    Ireland's defence plan is based on a realistic assessment.

    A realistic assessment of Ireland's strategic position is that there is no way that Ireland could defeat, or even hold off for very long, an enemy capable of overcoming British defences. Consequently it would be a collossal waste of effort and resources, and a distraction from attainable objectives, to try and build up such a capacity.

    In terms of the defending national territory against an invader, the Irish defence forces' objective is simply to be able to offer armed resistance, so that an invader/occupier can't simply march in without a shot fired. Their occupation would be delegitimised by the fact that they had to invade by force, and overcome resistance. Secondly, they would hope to offer resistance for long enough to buy some time for diplomatic and political endeavours to be played out. Thirdly, they would hope to be able to fall back to a model of guerilla/irregular resistance to an occupier.

    I don't necessarily agree, obviously Jets, and tanks etc would be waste of money, but we could have mandatory military service, so if war did break out you distribute rifles and suddenly you have a massive resistance.
    We could build inexpensive bunkers in strategic areas. We should have the capability to shoot down anything that flies into our airspace. Not just for wartime, but for potential terror attacks etc.
    You don't need huge military, you just need to make an invasion very very awkward. It worked for the Swiss against the Germans in WW2.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,749 ✭✭✭irishmover


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    I don't necessarily agree, obviously Jets, and tanks etc would be waste of money, but we could have mandatory military service, so if war did break out you distribute rifles and suddenly you have a massive resistance.
    We could build inexpensive bunkers in strategic areas. We should have the capability to shoot down anything that flies into our airspace. Not just for wartime, but for potential terror attacks etc.
    You don't need huge military, you just need to make an invasion very very awkward. It worked for the Swiss against the Germans in WW2.

    Conscription

    It's actually much more common than I thought.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 260 ✭✭Franticfrank


    We already have the best form of defence imaginable - geography. The only reason the Brits weren't crushed by Blitzkrieg in 1940 was because of the channel. When you're an island, most people can't be bothered with you. So relax and head down to the pub, nothing to worry about.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,743 ✭✭✭blatantrereg


    We already have the best form of defence imaginable - geography. The only reason the Brits weren't crushed by Blitzkrieg in 1940 was because of the channel. When you're an island, most people can't be bothered with you. So relax and head down to the pub, nothing to worry about.
    The channel - and a superior navy to put in it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    I don't necessarily agree, obviously Jets, and tanks etc would be waste of money, but we could have mandatory military service, so if war did break out you distribute rifles and suddenly you have a massive resistance.
    We could build inexpensive bunkers in strategic areas. We should have the capability to shoot down anything that flies into our airspace. Not just for wartime, but for potential terror attacks etc.
    You don't need huge military, you just need to make an invasion very very awkward. It worked for the Swiss against the Germans in WW2.

    The RBS-70 air defence system the Irish Army uses costs about €5,000 per missile - it's a decent enough system and it's effective to 5000 metres within a range of about 8km - meaning you need a lot of units (€30,000 each) to cover our 8,000 km of coastline - or fewer if you only want to protect key areas.

    Anything above 5,000m or below 250m needs a different system to bring it down - as well as supporting radar, communications etc.

    Then you'd need whoever is going to attack to not come in under 250m.

    Why would terrorists want to attack Ireland from the air? That type of act is about propaganda and defeating symbols - which is why the Twin Towers, the Pentagon etc we're attacked - you don't generate the same response by hitting anything in Ireland


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    We already have the best form of defence imaginable - geography. The only reason the Brits weren't crushed by Blitzkrieg in 1940 was because of the channel. When you're an island, most people can't be bothered with you. So relax and head down to the pub, nothing to worry about.

    That and the fact the Germans lacked the capacity to launch and sustain any kind of amphibious operation


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    Jawgap wrote: »
    That and the fact the Germans lacked the capacity to launch and sustain any kind of amphibious operation

    Wasn't going to stop them trying though

    http://www.irishcentral.com/news/nazi-plans-to-invade-ireland-revealed-97376329-237361631.html


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,298 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    I don't necessarily agree, obviously Jets, and tanks etc would be waste of money, but we could have mandatory military service, so if war did break out you distribute rifles and suddenly you have a massive resistance.
    We could build inexpensive bunkers in strategic areas. We should have the capability to shoot down anything that flies into our airspace. Not just for wartime, but for potential terror attacks etc.
    You don't need huge military, you just need to make an invasion very very awkward. It worked for the Swiss against the Germans in WW2.
    Mandatory military service is what you do if you do want a huge military, or potentially so. I don't buy your idea that it was mandatory military service that kept the Germans from invading Switzerland - it didn't keep the Germans from invading France, Poland, Belgium, Denmark or Norway, all of which had mandatory military service. The Germans didn't invade Switzerland because they had no reason to. The Swiss were fairly co-operative, and Swiss neutrality suited Germany very well.

    "Massive resistance" has never worked against an occupier in the Irish context, despite many times of trying. Guerilla warfare is the only thing that has ever achieved results, and you don't prepare for that with universal military service and the construction of bunkers.

    As for resisting terror attacks, nobody in any country has ever successfully dealt with terrorism through military means; attempts to do so are generally disastrous. All terrorism campaigns that have been neutralised or defeated have been dealt with by political means, rather than military.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    Mandatory military service is what you do if you do want a huge military, or potentially so. I don't buy your idea that it was mandatory military service that kept the Germans from invading Switzerland - it didn't keep the Germans from invading France, Poland, Belgium, Denmark or Norway, all of which had mandatory military service. The Germans didn't invade Switzerland because they had no reason to. The Swiss were fairly co-operative, and Swiss neutrality suited Germany very well.

    I don't think that's true, Hitler wanted badly to invade Switzerland. But due the the armed citizens, organized army/reservists, and mountainous terrain the Germans figured it would cost half a million German troops, and wasn't worth it.

    Hitler seemed pretty pissed about it to me


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    Guerilla warfare is the only thing that has ever achieved results, and you don't prepare for that with universal military service and the construction of bunkers.

    I agree Guerilla warfare is the way to go, but you absolutely can prepare for it, you can train people in Guerilla tactics just as easily as standard tactics. Like the Swiss, you let everybody keep their service rifle in their house.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Nino Brown wrote: »

    Can I suggest you get your information on the German from elsewhere other than Irish Central.

    Ireland was beyond German fighter cover and just about within range of their bombers - however, Ireland was well within range of the RAF fighters especially the ones based in Northern Ireland

    The Germans lacked landing craft and were, in the case of SEALION, going to use river barges which founder in seas of 2m or more.

    They had no anti-shipping capacity in the Luftwaffe - who were supposed to keep the RN at bay while the barges were towed at 5 knots (any faster and they would have sunk) across the English Channel.

    Then once they got across how were they going to sustain the forces? One thing the amphibious landings in the Med and OVERLORD proved was how difficult it was to sustain an army in combat across the beach, in the absence of having access to decent sized port.

    SEALON, Case Green was prepared - it doesn't mean it was capable of being implemented.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Peregrinus wrote: »
    ......

    As for resisting terror attacks, nobody in any country has ever successfully dealt with terrorism through military means; attempts to do so are generally disastrous. All terrorism campaigns that have been neutralised or defeated have been dealt with by political means, rather than military.

    ........Except for the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) in Sri Lanka


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭Nino Brown


    Jawgap wrote: »
    Can I suggest you get your information on the German from elsewhere other than Irish Central.

    Ireland was beyond German fighter cover and just about within range of their bombers - however, Ireland was well within range of the RAF fighters especially the ones based in Northern Ireland

    The Germans lacked landing craft and were, in the case of SEALION, going to use river barges which founder in seas of 2m or more.

    They had no anti-shipping capacity in the Luftwaffe - who were supposed to keep the RN at bay while the barges were towed at 5 knots (any faster and they would have sunk) across the English Channel.

    Then once they got across how were they going to sustain the forces? One thing the amphibious landings in the Med and OVERLORD proved was how difficult it was to sustain an army in combat across the beach, in the absence of having access to decent sized port.

    SEALON, Case Green was prepared - it doesn't mean it was capable of being implemented.

    I think you're underestimating them, they invented the ballistic missile, I think they could have figured out how to cross the channel if they put their mind to it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,743 ✭✭✭blatantrereg


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    I think you're underestimating them, they invented the ballistic missile, I think they could have figured out how to cross the channel if they put their mind to it.
    They did put their mind to it. The ultimate objective of the Battle of Britain was to prepare for such an invasion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Nino Brown wrote: »
    I think you're underestimating them, they invented the ballistic missile, I think they could have figured out how to cross the channel if they put their mind to it.

    Ok, well let's start with the fact that the Chinese invented the ballistic missile - the Germans just developed a version of it that they failed to operationalise.

    Just because they fired it and hit things didn't make it a successful weapon - impressive maybe, but not effective.

    The Germans were a continental army - they never did amphibious or expeditionary war - which is why SEALION was conceived as a river crossing on a broad front.

    Even they Allies had cock up the Dieppe Raid, then do three amphibious ops badly (Sicily, Salerno and Anzio) before they figured out how to do one reasonably well (OVERLORD) - and even then, with total air supremacy, it was still a fairly close run thing.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    They did put their mind to it. The ultimate objective of the Battle of Britain was to prepare for such an invasion.

    Sorry, but it wasn't - the objective was to force Britain from the war.

    One theory is that SEALION was prepared as part of an overall strategy intended to persuade Britain to come to terms and leave the Germans free to act on the Continent.

    Their main problem in the BoB was their failure to identify and attack the right targets, in the right way and inflict the 'right' damage.

    However, they did teach RAF Bomber Command what to bomb with as the RAF were able to study the impact the Luftwaffe were or weren't having and use that information when it came time to return the compliment over Germany.


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