Interesting articles

Larbre34

Exactly. The concept of the first MRV is only now being explored by naval architects advising the Government.

I don't recall any mention at any time about a second.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118243086#Comment_118243086

No, the concept has been around since before the Crash, with various names/potential designs. The details of what it might mean is perhaps only now being narrowed down however, a second hull however... That's about a half a billion in capital alone, add in the costs of helicopters for such a buy, that's coming up to a billion. And both services are **** out off people...

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118244129#Comment_118244129

To be blunt though, what was said coming up on 20 years ago in no way suggests that there is or even was a firm intention to purchase a second MRV hull, nor is there any suggestion of the Capital Budget having the capacity for another €200+ million purchase, I say 200 million as I can't see a MRV coming in south of €150m even as bare bones as it might be.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118245552#Comment_118245552

The Commission says that and it will be ignored and the report dropped in the shredder. Just as previous reviews/reports etc have been, pinning hopes on the Commission being a magic bullet is foolhardy imo, it will do nothing to change the political or public position on spending on defence. And given build rates it will be 20 years since the MRV was talked about before she is in service and even longer if there was a second one.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118246033#Comment_118246033

Given that nothing at all will change until 2023 (as it will have to be the next budget at best before anything changes)2 even if the Government was willing to take the political hit in increasing defence spending, not too mention the question of whether the current government will still be around by then, hopping for something in 2022 is a bit of a forlorn hope anyway. I mean did you see one of the Senators standing up declaring no Irish company should be involved in the defence sector last week?

Larbre34

The breathtaking naivety.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248532#Comment_118248532

Willful Stupidity rather than naivety imo...

Larbre34

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40757157.html

This is dumb altogether.

TLDR: All alcohol to be banned in camp in the Lebanon deployment, following an alleged assault, suspected to have been fuelled by alcohol.

There are 400 odd people on tour there, all of which have been subjected to the additional pressures of Covid on their deployments and their family lives.

I'm going to assume 99+% of them are well able to enjoy a beer or two and control themselves. Besides if they try and ban alcohol in just one DF camp, home or abroad, they're going to have a problem.

What this is, is an indictment of the battalion command and the MP contingent therein. If they can't effectively manage one or two incidents of trouble within the Unit, through loss of privileges or the application of appropriate military law, without demoralising 400 other adults,they shouldn't have the job.

The Black Oil

Really good piece on the Naval Service Diving Section.

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/ireland-s-naval-divers-people-think-of-coral-reefs-military-diving-is-a-different-beast-1.4736370

Larbre34

If the description of the draft report, as having not met the mandate in clear and unambiguous terms, then the backlash appears warranted, especially if there is genuine disagreement among the members on that exact point.

The report should be delayed until its shortcomings are replaced with clear recommendations and it is fit to publish.

Larbre34

Extracts from letter to Irish Times from retired Lt Colonel Joe Ahern, published today:

It is disappointing that the draft report of the Commission on the Defence Forces falls far short of realistically addressing the problems facing the Defence Forces.

It is a happy coincidence that the letter from Denis J Halliday, former UN Assistant Secretary General, quoting Major General Maureen O’Brien on the shortcomings in Defence Forces' capabilities should appear in the same edition of the paper. It leaves some room for hope that the commission states that their work is ongoing....

I’d suggest taking extra time to get it right would be a good option for the commission because an inadequate report will inflict inestimable further damage on an already badly wounded organisation.

sparky42

The commission is pushed back until the new year according to their latest tweet, must have got some strong push back…

https://twitter.com/irlcodf/status/1471878541704929280?s=21

Larbre34

Too priceless a response not to post.

sparky42

Though it's behind a Paywall, the Times is suggesting that the Commission may not even be able to produce a Unanimous report, and the possibility of a Minority counter report.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118348880#Comment_118348880

The below is taken from the article you speak off. Nothing to worry about😬

The commission sent draft versions to senior officials in the Department of Defence and Defence Forces in November. Civilian and military officials believed the draft did not adequately address the commission’s terms of reference.

They described the report as vague and contradictory in places, including in relation to Army command structures, the future of the Defence Forces’ headquarters and future interactions between civilian and military officials.

The Defence Forces’ criticisms were the most severe and included complaints about a lack of focus on developing future capabilities and a lack of ambition on how to address the retention crisis

Larbre34

Fun little story coming out of the 30 year State Papers release.

John Major was invited to Dublin for talks with Albert Reynolds towards the end of 1991. The security plan involved flying him from Baldonnell directly to Government Buildings in a British Army Westland Wessex and landing on the helicopter pad on the roof of the Dept of An Taoiseach (which is still there)

Although the Wessex was nominally a 6.1 ton machine, a couple of ex Pilots in Dept of Transport advised that the armoured version that would come (presumably from the North) was likely considerably heavier than delivery spec and that the pad, which was commonly used by the 4.3 ton IAC Dauphin, may structurally fail.

Among alternative solutions being looked at were Merrion Square Park and the pitches at UCD Belfield, although it doesn't say what solution was arrived at.

Personally I'd have thought the playing fields at Trinity College Park would be ideal, being easy to secure and just a two or three minute drive to Government Buildings.

sparky42

The Times has a new article:

[QUOTE]

The government has no plan to increase the military in a significant way, according to sources

The government is making plans to turn the Defence Forces into a leaner and smarter military backed by advanced technology to protect the state in the decades ahead.

The Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces is due to report later this month but it is understood the government is already preparing for reform of the army, naval service and air corps.

The plan hopes to transform the Defence Forces into an “interoperable fighting force” capable of fulfilling its mission using new technology. The government has no plan to increase the military in a significant way, according to sources familiar with the issue.

The commission, which is chaired by the former civil servant Aidan O’Driscoll, is due to meet this month to agree on a series of recommendations that are the subject of ongoing debate and intense behind-the-scenes lobbying. The report was due to be submitted to the government last month but this was postponed because of disagreements over its contents.

The Defence Forces is seeking to establish a “tech-enabled” military force capable of detecting and responding to threats in multiple domains.

In written submissions, it had sought significantly enhanced capabilities for the Air Corps and Naval Service to allow them to respond to threats in Irish-controlled air space and Ireland’s maritime territory, while the army is seeking enhanced protection for overseas operations. The commission is unlikely to make all of these recommendations.

Closures of barracks are unlikely to be proposed.

The role of the Defence Forces in protecting the state against international terrorist groups and hostile states has been considered.

The Department of Justice and garda headquarters did not make any formal submissions to the commission during its research phase but have made representations concerning the role of military intelligence, known as J2, asking that it be more legally defined, according to political sources.

The military has for decades monitored the activities of foreign intelligence services from countries such as Russia on Irish soil.

The issue of what J2 does with such intelligence has become the focus of some debate.

Intelligence gathered by J2 is shared with European countries and the United States but limited information is shared with garda headquarters, who themselves provide limited information to the Defence Forces, which has a long standing expertise in the area.

The two agencies have also mounted simultaneous operations against the same targets, leading to inter-agency conflict and duplication of resources.

The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) had urged the commission to recommend the establishment of a national intelligence service but this is unlikely to happen.

Conor King, the Raco spokesman, said if granted this would have brought Ireland into line with other EU countries. The military itself has campaigned for the creation of a civilian intelligence agency since the 1970s.

Declan Power, an independent security analyst, said he feared the commission was a missed opportunity to develop and advocate for a new agile defence force for the state.

“Why put together a commission on defence when they feel they may have to discard or ignore their contribution, which begs the question on how much serious thought was put into the composition of this commission in the first place,” he said.

Ger Guinan of the Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association said he believed the government was making advance plans for what the commission was likely to report.

“The Defence Forces have been in such bad condition so it doesn’t surprise me that aspects of the commission’s report have been planned for already,” he said.[/QUOTE]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/plans-in-place-to-make-defence-forces-smarter-and-high-tech-n3zt39pj3

Given the issues just trying to hold onto specialists right now, the idea of "leaner and smarter" seems a sick joke, not too mention that even if you got both the NS and AC up to establishment figures, it won't be enough.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118411466#Comment_118411466

I Taught J2 & Garda National Crime & Security Intelligence Service worked well together

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118411569#Comment_118411569

Don't know, could just be an argument over resources, maybe the Gardaí are worried about J2 getting more money?

Larbre34

Depressingly predictable. Predictably depressing.

BuildTheWall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117595154#Comment_117595154

I was always under the impression that lads in the DF were threaders because there was little to no scope for deployments. Sounds like a good problem to have, frankly you’d be loaded after a 12 month tour, never mind 16.

Larbre34

DF insta post of an ARW unit in a Polaris M-RZR complete with OEM MG mount and FN 7.62

A vehicle I had no clue we had.

Esel

Do they still have the GPMG in regular use?

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437095#Comment_118437095

The company actually leaked that we had it last year I think during one of the defence expos as they were promoting the vehicle...

Larbre34

So I read this evening. Had passed me by at the time.

roadmaster

Article in the times about Rescue 111

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-crash-of-rescue-111-the-worst-silence-i-ever-heard-in-all-my-life-1.4762896

Larbre34

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0109/843556-snow-causes-major-disruptions/

These few days mark the 40th anniversary of the extraordinary snow storm of 1982 which blanketed the Eastern two third of Ireland in depths not seen for decades prior and only maybe once since.

The TV report above shows the Air Corps Aerospatiale SA330 Puma (242) busy dropping supplies to isolated locations and ferrying dialysis patients and mothers in labour to hospital. Another four Alouette type, not shown, were tasked to other similar work around the Country, according to the report.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118485948#Comment_118485948

Never made sense to me from the creation of the Wing that it didn't have something along this line tbh.

roadmaster

I presume they will need a helicopter based with them if there is an issue in the irish sea or of the north west

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118486459#Comment_118486459

Not yet anyway!

Makes sense that this should be the case. Hopefully it's pursued quickly.

In America they have Sea, Air and Land Teams. SEALs.

We can have Farraige, Aer agus Talamh. FATs.