Who asked the British to 'protect' our airspace from the Russians or anyone else ?

Stars and Stripes · 10-02-2017 04:51PM #1

Seen an article today in the Indo. Now being the Indo you have to take any security or crime reports with a pinch of salt as it's quotes as usual from anonymous 'sources'. But if true it occurred to me - who ever asked the Brits to mind our air space ? Is it up to them if say, a French or Swedish or American or Russian fighter plane were in our air space ? Or is it just the Indo been the Indo

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/royal-air-force-jets-scramble-to-intercept-russian-bombers-circling-uk-and-ireland-35437672.html

darkpagandeath · 10-02-2017 04:52PM

Who else will be minding it ?

Barry Badrinath · 10-02-2017 04:53PM

Its because we don't have sticks long enough to hit the Russian bombers all the way up der in de clouds.

alchemist33 · 10-02-2017 04:53PM

We could always launch a number of brightly coloured birds, all with different skillsets, from a large catapult instead.

Stars and Stripes · 10-02-2017 04:54PM

darkpagandeath wrote: »

Who else will be minding it ?

Does the fact that we're neutral not protect it ? If you don't pose a threat to someone else they tend to leave you alone, hence why this state hasn't been at war with anyone since it was founded.

EverythingGood · 10-02-2017 04:54PM

Well, seeing as we are incapable of defending it ourselves, thank Go we have the British to help us. Anyway, the Russkies didn't actually enter our airspace.

Notamuppet · 10-02-2017 04:55PM

That's the thing - doesn't the article say neither the Brits or the Russians entered our airspace? In which case surely they can chase each other around international airspace as much as they want as long as they don't hurt anyone!

FrancieBrady · 10-02-2017 04:56PM

FAIK The British have identified an area as 'an area of interest' which they choose to 'defend'.
As I doubt the Rooskies where going to harm us, I say let them at it. Hope they aren't looking to be paid for it.

darkpagandeath · 10-02-2017 04:56PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Does the fact that we're neutral not protect it ? If you don't pose a threat to someone else they tend to leave you alone, hence why this state hasn't been at war with anyone since it was founded.

To be neutral you have to be able to defend that neutrality. Ireland is not and never has been Neutral.

CptMackey · 10-02-2017 04:56PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Does the fact that we're neutral not protect it ? If you don't pose a threat to someone else they tend to leave you alone, hence why this state hasn't been at war with anyone since it was founded.

Really? Our neutrality is like Swiss cheese. We cant defend it from a 747 not to mind a Russian bomber . If the brits don't do it somebody else will have to

Cuddlesworth · 10-02-2017 04:58PM

http://www.military.ie/en/air-corps/fleet/

Get in those prop planes and take out those multi-million top end bombers lads.

Triangle · 10-02-2017 04:59PM

Remember hearing that we have an agreement with the UK for them to protect our AirSpace.

One of the Air Corp/Army lads might fill in more details.

wes · 10-02-2017 04:59PM

No issue with the Brits doing this. Putin isn't to be trusted.

pawrick · 10-02-2017 04:59PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Does the fact that we're neutral not protect it ? If you don't pose a threat to someone else they tend to leave you alone, hence why this state hasn't been at war with anyone since it was founded.

Being neutral didn't help Belgium in WW1 or many other countries when they were in the way or had useful resources in times of war.

Jawgap · 10-02-2017 05:01PM

It's not our airspace - it's airspace we have control, not sovereignty over......and as controlled airspace a plane zipping through it with its transponder off is a hazard.

.....also it's NATO who carry out the intercepts, but it just happens the nearest bit of NATO to use with the capacity to carry out quick reaction intercepts is the UK.

....you'll find those bombers are often accompanied by Norwegian or Danish aircraft before being handed off to the RAF - who in turn would hand them off to the Armée de l'air if they were heading for the Med and Syria.

realdanbreen · 10-02-2017 05:01PM

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Its because we don't have sticks long enough to hit the Russian bombers all the way up der in de clouds.

We could always throw iodine tablets at them!

Triangle · 10-02-2017 05:02PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Does the fact that we're neutral not protect it ? If you don't pose a threat to someone else they tend to leave you alone, hence why this state hasn't been at war with anyone since it was founded.

Ahhh now come on - (Generally speaking) if someone can take something without repercussions - then they will.

Honestly thinking neutrality will protect you is incredibly naive. Just look at history for numerous times this has happened.

Barry Badrinath · 10-02-2017 05:02PM

realdanbreen wrote: »

We could always throw iodine tablets at them!

Noooooo!!!!

We NEED them!!!

Stars and Stripes · 10-02-2017 05:04PM

darkpagandeath wrote: »

To be neutral you have to be able to defend that neutrality. Ireland is not and never has been Neutral.

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

realdanbreen · 10-02-2017 05:05PM

CptMackey wrote: »

Really? Our neutrality is like Swiss cheese. We cant defend it from a 747 not to mind a Russian bomber . If the brits don't do it somebody else will have to

Although the yanks didn't do too well defending the heart of their military establishment, the Pentagon, from a 737 flown by a few fellas who had just finished reading a 'flying for dummies' book.

jimgoose · 10-02-2017 05:05PM

Oh you know the Brits - they love this sort of thing. Hooray!

EverythingGood · 10-02-2017 05:06PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

No, who said that? But we are not neutral in the sense that Norway or Switzerland are.

Stars and Stripes · 10-02-2017 05:07PM

Triangle wrote: »

Ahhh now come on - (Generally speaking) if someone can take something without repercussions - then they will.

Honestly thinking neutrality will protect you is incredibly naive. Just look at history for numerous times this has happened.

Neutrality has been ignored such as Norway in WW2 by the British which only pulled the Norwegians into it to be only invaded by the Germans. However many other countries still maintained their neutrality such as Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal and Ireland of course etc

Barry Badrinath · 10-02-2017 05:08PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

Ireland is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP).

We are also "Non Beligerent" as opposed to "Neutral". We can not defend our neutrality.

Falthyron · 10-02-2017 05:08PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

You think we are neutral?

Cute.

jimgoose · 10-02-2017 05:09PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

Ireland isn't a member of NATO, but it is a member of the EU Battlegroups under the EU CSDP.

Harry Palmr · 10-02-2017 05:09PM

da British are protecting Irish airspace in the same way da Brits are informing Irish weather forecasts - as part of a network of competent providers using technology beyond what met.ie can afford to buy (or even use in the case of Jet fighters).

Boom_Bap · 10-02-2017 05:11PM

I offered to protect our airspace armed with dirty looks and audible sighs.
But me services were rejected.

Stars and Stripes · 10-02-2017 05:13PM

realdanbreen wrote: »

We could always throw iodine tablets at them!

Just show them the Angelus at 6.00 and tell them it's on every day !

darkpagandeath · 10-02-2017 05:15PM

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

So your telling me the RoI is a member of NATO and was not neutral in WW2 .....

Saying you are neutral is not the same as being Neutral.

The_Valeyard · 10-02-2017 05:16PM

What's the problem

1. Have the Russians land at shannon

2. Charge for fuel

3. Profit.

Who asked the British to 'protect' our airspace from the Russians or anyone else ?

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