Interesting articles

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122901316#Comment_122901316

Its always a balance between automated systems and how well they are program/developed/tested, and how well trained the user is on the systems and how well the user monitors the automatic systems. Sometimes its user error like this, other times its a hardware/software fault that shows itself at the worst time with little to no warning.

I mean when you take how many of the navies have gone very lean crewed for cost reasons, there's always going to be risks if the crew aren't 100% on top of their roles.

roadmaster

Maybe we should lend the Kiwis Niamh and Roisin until they get a replacement ship

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122901449#Comment_122901449

They plan to use one or both of the remaining Lake class to make up the gap.

sparky42

I wonder with the FF led Government will our position remain hostile towards the moves in the EU around defence funding/procurement/investment. I mean its not that we will likely make use of the funds or join many of the projects.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/12/06/eus-new-defense-czar-looks-to-kick-rearmament-into-high-gear/

roadmaster

I see in the examiner this morning an article the examiner saying.we are the lowewt defence spend in the EU. Iam so shocked!.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122932796#Comment_122932796

Que the "we are spending the most on defence"… Accept of course we aren't even doing that in terms of percentage with even preCrash being equal and Pre GFA being much higher.

sparky42

Another Hotpress article on the DF, that's what the third in only a couple of weeks. Has someone got a new contract for Recruitment advertising?

https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/captain-eva-balfe-of-the-irish-air-corps-communications-information-services-squadron-theres-a-real-sense-of-achievement-23062025

Larbre34

Not a contract necessarily, but I would imagine the DoD are paying for the coverage in non-traditional media, yes.

Mind you, who the **** reads Hot Press these days? Certainly not young music fans in the age bracket for DF recruitment, after all its not 1986.

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122943191#Comment_122943191

Maybe they're hoping Hot Press readers will encourage their kids to join….

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122932796#Comment_122932796

Quick credibility check - does the article quote spending on "thing they want" as a % of GDP? because if so, it's worthless

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122943433#Comment_122943433

Not really, even if you go with GNI we are still bottom of the pile. Even if you take what we are spending now versus our past spend its shockingly low.

Hotblack Desiato

Yes we'd still be bottom in relation to defence spending no matter how you slice it. But every lobby group knows they can shout about "X% of GDP" and make Ireland look bad in any area

vswr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122944853#Comment_122944853

they can use whatever metric they want, and Ireland will still look bad.

Larbre34

For the record our Defence spending is 0.48% of GNI*, and 0.26% of GDP.

Yes, both look bad.

sparky42

Not an article as such, but a random question, I passed a Naval divers truck just passed Cobh Junction with a propeller on the back?

mupper2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122970875#Comment_122970875

The truck had a prop attached?

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122970954#Comment_122970954

Yep, short wheel base with the prop on a stand up by the cab end? I was on my own or I would have taken a photo, presume it was heading to the base, but doubt it came from Cobh?

mupper2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122970966#Comment_122970966

With "naval divers" stenciled on?…weird

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122971515#Comment_122971515

That was on the door panel of the cab of the Truck, the propeller was bare. Like I said it just seemed a bit random, could be something normal.

Manic Moran

I'm assuming in this case you mean a screw which is detached from a vessel and being transported on a truck, as opposed to an amphibious truck propelled by a screw. How big was it? (The screw, not the truck)

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122972871#Comment_122972871

sorry not to get back earlier, Christmas was its usual. And yeah not an amphibious truck😝, I’d say it each blade was 3-4 feet from memory.

In other news, I see more details are coming out regarding the shadow tanker that the Finns took over the holidays, reportedly she’s well equipped with spy gear among other things. Not that we are in a position to do anything similar to the shadow tankers off our coast at times…

roadmaster

So in the 80s we had issues as well about weapons manufacturing but no issues with the ifsc in latter years i guess its a case of see no evil hear no evil.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/1229/1487253-state-papers-weapon-proposals/

Larbre34

Thats a fair comparison. We'll never know how much ill-gotten gain, including from arms trading, was laundered through the IFSC in those early years.

But sure hypocrisy has always made Ireland go around.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122997423#Comment_122997423

What restrictions were there on German industry by the 1980s? Why would they need to set up a plant here to “get around them”? In hindsight though, by the time any such plant would be actually operational, the Cold War would be almost over, and there would be little to no chance of it surviving the peace dividend.

The repair/support work for airplanes/helicopters on the other hand could have been a runner, but bless the mandarins for managing to make it impossible…

roadmaster

The Good Auld Defence Journal having a go at ireland again. What ever the facts about our defence spending and Mickey D as mentioned in the article.

There seams to be a firm under tone of racism fron this publication towards the irish nation.

They should maybe worry more about themselfs than us considering the amount of issues they have in there own military

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/ireland-condemns-nato-budget-despite-relying-on-its-support/

Markcheese

Not all that surprising from Michael D ,

And not wrong from defence journal or whatever the magazine is ..

And from the outside it's not surprising that most don't realise that our president is pretty much a figure head , and f'all to do with our government,

Probably a very political statement, from a politician who's expected to be above politics..

Markcheese

From Michael D , it kind of smacks of if we cut the number of Gardai and stopped them arresting people,then we'd have less people in prison and obviously less (recorded) crime ..

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123044812#Comment_123044812

We all know what Mickey D is like and must people pay no attention at this stage anyway he will be gone shortly.

But with the UKDJ and simliar UK media there is a consistent undertone of snipping at us espcially more so since Brexit. If they are so worried about there back doar sure they could add an extra QRA aircraft in liverpool if needs be.

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123044965#Comment_123044965

meh, when it comes to defence matters that undertone long predates Brexit, it’s just the worsening in the relationship has given it more space (arguably no different on our side in other matters), but any article in U.K. media/sites on Irish defence quickly jumps to “how dare we have stayed neutral” and goes from there. I mean hell didn’t take that one long before the whole “Dev went to the embassy” line got posted.

Unfortunately even leaving out Micky D being a Tankie, the main issue is that we have little to show that we are actually taking defence even remotely seriously, as evidenced by the news of how the 76mm are out of action from lack of staff. If we were making an effort to even come close to the LoA2/3 spending his comments might be ignored, as it is, they have been picked up far beyond just U.K. media.

Markcheese

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123044965#Comment_123044965

Britain is going to worry about their back door , that in itself isn't our concern ..

Obviously though ,their back door is us .. and we've crap external security.. and a history of a crap attitude to it ,

In the immediate sense , I'm a little curious as to what our response would be to cables and pipelines in our area suddenly going offline..

I doubt there's much any country can do to prevent it , bar escorting and surveillance on suspicious vessels ,

I assume that the depts of the cables off our 12 mile limit is one of the only things that's deterred a bit of anchor dragging so far ..