Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Hacked the HSE computers to cause millions of euros worth of damage and endanger Irish patients in hospitals, invaded another European country causing millions of people to need to take shelter in the EU from their indiscriminate attacks and terrorism, shipped weapons and mercenaries to a number of countries causing international unrest and security issues hindering trade and economic growth and development globally, stealing billions of euros worth of commercial aircraft many of which were registered in Ireland just to mention a few things that spring to mind.

Not to mention the time that the Russian embassy in Ireland applied for a huge expansion of its premises including an extensive underground complex, featuring power plant rooms and several rooms that were unmarked in the planning application.

All totally above board...

Nobody is invading us.

However, the EU and US should be funding our navy out the yingyang to protect offshore cables. Unless you want to go back to RTE 1 and Network 2 of course..

I see the free-riding which passes for defence policy in Ireland is alive and well.

There's an article in the guardian about some new Tory funded report arguing that we are the weak link in European security, calling for increased UK military preparation up North. Unless we take control of it, others will make those decisions for us.

The most important word in your post is LARGE, and the next important words would be HEAVILY ARMED. Something like what Prigozhin did. Other than that, it will be the Silovicki, or possibly the Oligarchs who might pull the plug on Putin. As for large contingents leaving the front lines and fighting their way to the Kremlin? I don't know,,Putin /Shoigu have built many preventative / defensive road blocks into the system. Would be the greatest thing to see though.

If this is an indication of how Russia treate Ukrainians is really a form of genocide. It may not involve direct mass murder (unlike Bucha) but it's an attempt to eraise Ukraine from the map.

I wonder what PBP thinks of this?

Yes, but if the Irish defence situation has been basically the same for a hundred years, ie a neutral country with a sparsely equipped defence force, it stands to reason that Irish governments have been content with that, so it's probably not going to change any time soon, even with the potential for espionage because espionage is very much not a new phenomenon.

And presumably the UK and other allies must be content with it as well because in that time they've not really told Ireland to f off and police its own skies and waters.

I say 'content' rather than 'happy' as maybe the sides concerned would prefer a defensively independent Ireland but there just doesn't seem to be the will to make that happen. 🤷

We don't even have the capacity to detect a lone boat sailing close to the shores, the same lone boat can launch an AliExpress drone armed with an explosive and flying right around the country undetected and then hit some vital target like a power station. We wouldn't have a flippling clue until it happens.

Absolutely no way some anti EU/West terrorist group wouldn't see us as an easy target to disrupt the EU/West? If we had a major catastrophic blackout we would need massive EU intervention and aid. Cutting undersea cables, both data and power by some foreign actor can go unpunished as we would have no clue who done it as we have no radar etc....

Other countries who have a military and navy that can defend themselves also do have hospitals. It's not a this or that option.

10 posts he must be another Russian propaganda bot carefully ignoring all the other points made HSE hacking etc.

Russia is the ideological antithesis of everything this country was founded on. An old 19th century style vision of empire that imprisons and crushes and exploits small nations like Ireland. It’s just an accident of geography that there is no history between us. Countries like Finland Lithuania, Latvia , Poland etc who we have much more in common will tell you all you need to know about Russia . They do not like the existence of small or mid size nations.

Yeah I actually like this Idea. You want us to patrol our waters to your standard especially when we're basically sharing our waters with the EU for fishing. Then give us Navy ships and pay for our soldiers. No problem we'll sail them around for you.

Otherwise **** off because we're billions in debt and not about to spend billions on something low priority with very little economic return.

No one wants to sit in **** weather, in Dublin or Galway bay, on a Friday or Saturday night, looking in at the city, when they could be there with there mates. In the Royal Navy, you actually have potential training and career prospects, which can be transferred to civvy life, while the IN will project this, currently like all of the DF, getting any courses that better "you" are difficult.

Anyway, that's digressing, re: drones. This was a feasible approach that was looked at, but, for the range and loiter time requirements needed to cover most/all of the EEZ, you would need to look at military spec drones, and similar to the Blackhawk debacle, it was shelved in favour of a more publicly palatable approach (the Casa's).