Interesting articles

Folks, given that at least circa 70% of cables are running through Irelands EEZ, that the US dynamic has changed with why are we not charging ground rent?

This could be used for upkeep via investment as they say eaten bread is soon forgotten.

DT TO MM your not paying your way.

MM goes to Trump your not paying yours.

Crazy Idea but if the status quo is changing should we not change too.

Still banking on the Indra Lanza….. particularly after Trump's actions the last few weeks. Imagine buying US now and them holding off updates or re-reg keys if we don't do something they want.

Marine mammal detection equipment is the direction you want to be looking towards.

Probably the closest you'll come to public domain tech in this area (funnily enough, usually staffed by ex-navy members :-D )

It's a shame, as it's an amazing piece of kit… I imagine there is probably a deal with SAAB to update it… I got to see the British Army version recently, it's small target acquisition and classification system (bird/drone/rocket etc…) along with networking capability was very impressive.

It’s interesting timing to be giving away some of the systems, given one of the stated reasons for their purchase was security for diplomatic events. Since we are going to be taking the rotational EU presidency next year, are all of them operational? Will we have enough for the defence role here if we donate a few? Are they being given away as “legacy” equipment (and isn’t that an interesting phrase to use) tied into the purchase of new systems?

Given the talk about a new Vehicle mounted system, I figure the 70s will just be phased out.

Maybe not..

it’s an extra .2% over the next two years, hardly a massive step change, and realistically unlikely to even fill the procurement blackholes they have right now.

As for us, as you posted in another thread, no matter what it’s going to take us time no matter how much money is thrown at the question whether we like it or not, blame a hundred years of stupidity on the question of defence.

The issues to a degree is that due to the falling numbers the deployments are happening more often particularly for specialist areas, no different really in how the ability to deploy the NS has fallen due to retention issues which are pay and conditions related, not sure why that’s surprising?

While its a difficult time for the whole paradigm of the western hemisphere, I wouldn't wish to be in the current position of post-Brexit Britain for all the tea in China.

Britannia rules the waves? Bobs about like an upended cork in a hurricane more like.

The changes to the Triple Lock go before Cabinet this week, and the upper limit for deploying troops without seeking approval will be increased to 50 from the current 12.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0302/1499768-triple-lock/

no, it’s 50 without the government having to ask, above 50 it’s just the approval of the Daíl.

I have to say the opposition takes on this are beyond insane, to the point you have Paul Murphy and Far Right Derek making the same argument. You’d swear before the Triple Lock was thought up we were rampaging across the global at the beck and call of Washington and London, or that anyone else on the planet cared about a domestic policy.

The political discourse on the Military in Ireland has long been poisoned by the fact it has never really had anyone to argue its case. We have had an asymmetrical spectrum of opinion;

-On one side we've had the Tankies who would rather we have either no military or the most feeble military possible.

-On the other side we have the Government who haven't cared whether we had a military or not and were happy to barely sustain token capabilities in our Defence forces and harvest claps on the back for UN Missions.

So as far as the public can see, the options are "No military capability" and "Next to no military capability". I'd argue that the government have been perfectly happy to let the Tankies dominate the debate and mislead the public.

The government have been happy to let the public wrongly believe that neutrality and helplessness are synonyms, or that there's major domestic and international legal issues to deal if we wanted a more capable Defence Forces. It has provided a convenient excuse for inaction and letting our already limited Defence Forces stagnate and shrink.

I also feel that the emphasis placed on our UN Peacekeeping role has in a sense damaged public perception of the Defence Forces. It has long been the standard script of our politicians to reflexively mention our UN participation, multilateralism, soft power, force for good etc. in every discussion of the Defence Forces.

But this has lead to a public perception that UN Missions are pretty much the only "real" purpose of the DF. As a result they make no connection between the DF and their role of actually serving in Irish land/airspace/waters. Based on what the government and media put out, the public's perception of what our military could easily be:

1. -100+ troops form up on a Barrack Square ready to ship out to Lebanon.
2. -While in Lebanon they patrol (on foot or in MOWAG) and hand out sweets to children.
3. -Take cover if violence erupts, and consider being withdrawn to Ireland.
4. -Emotional reunions with family members at Dublin airport.

As a result there's a perception that the DF's role is something far away, that doesn't involve any actual fighting or engaging hostile forces, that needs minimal investment or equipping, and most importantly is a choice; we commit as much or as little as we want, at a location and time of our choosing.

The very idea of an unannounced threat, or of a hostile action requiring a military response has been a totally alien concept in Irish public discourse until recently.