Security threats to Ireland from hybrid warfare

expectationlost · 13-02-2026 07:08AM

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/minister-certain-anti-drone-tech-in-place-for-eu-presidency-1864354.html

Asked if that timeline was quick enough, Ms McEntee said: “What I’ve done in announcing this new plan is make sure that that technology will be in place by providing the funding and the support.
“Of course, the Defence Forces are working closely with An Garda Síochána to make sure that what is needed operationally is in place and can be in place on time.
“But there’s a huge amount of focus and efforts being put into making sure that we have what we need, and beyond that as well, it’s important to make sure that we have drone counter-drone technology protecting our skies as well as our seas.”

So HRMS again

https://www.instagram.com/p/DR464yzj-Ih/?img_index=1

expectationlost · 13-02-2026 07:09AM

https://www.dronewatch.eu/norwegian-security-service-no-evidence-of-foreign-drone-activity-in-2025/

Norway’s domestic security service PST investigated a large number of reported drone sightings across the country in 2025, including incidents near airports, military facilities and other critical infrastructure. According to the agency, none of these cases could be linked to foreign states or intelligence services. In many instances, the reported “drones” turned out not to be drones at all, but stars, aircraft or other aerial phenomena.

Misidentifications are common
According to PST, many of the reports that triggered police alerts did not involve drones at all. Investigations often revealed stars, weather phenomena, airplanes or helicopters instead. Haugland notes that judging distance and speed, especially at night, appears to be particularly difficult.

expectationlost · 16-02-2026 08:30PM

To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason the Government’s recently acquired counter
drone technology will only monitor the area around Baldonnel airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2026-02-12a.647&s=drones#g648.q

For operational security reasons, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment on this matter at this time.

Larbre34 · 16-02-2026 11:07PM

Correct answer.

shinnerbot09 · 01-03-2026 02:17PM

Id love to know how serving Irish defence forces feel about the current minister for defence ?

Given the current international climate where defence is much more important that it once was.

She was a total disaster and walking joke as Minister for Justice and left the portfolio an embarrassing mess for some one else to clean up

Is she qualified , is she capable , is she doing more damage that good ?

Larbre34 · 01-03-2026 02:29PM

She isn't really minister for defence. She has the seal of office, but in reality defence and security is being run out of the Taoiseach's office, with the Dept of Public Expenditure and the National Security Council.

McEntee can't create policy, can't change budgets, can't restructure her department or the DF.

The roadmap for defence for the next ten years is already mapped out. McEntee is just an empty suit nominally assigned to the job but is really spending 99% of her time on foreign affairs - the EU presidency, bilateral relations with the UK and some UN business.

And when the Taoiseach job rotates in December of next year she'll be moved on too, because Micheál Martin will want Foreign Affairs with Defence to finish out his career, because he has never held an economic portfolio in his life, and is not about to start now.

roadmaster · 01-03-2026 07:07PM

i see today a few articles in the papers saying how much sh^t creek we are up with the lack of national security. The EU should pull the plug and say all major meeting to be held in a country that can protect itsellf. The other day AGS where saying between the soccer and Trump arriving around the same time they will be under serious pressure.

Larbre34 · 01-03-2026 11:03PM

In other news, with the bombardment of Iran designed to keep Trump and Netanyahu out of prison well under way, and Iranian retaliation on US allies in the Gulf claiming lives and property in places like Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, 94,000 UK citizens have notified London of their presence in those and other Middle Eastern nations.

The estimate is that between 15 and 20,000 Irish also live and work in countries now under Iranian attack, so we may see our next 'Kabul' sooner rather than later.

However with the C295 Transport and the Falcon 6X now in operation, we are certainly much better prepared this time around.

232 return flights of both aircraft to and from Cyprus ought to do it...…

Grassy Knoll · 03-03-2026 12:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124274913#Comment_124274913

I’ve no candle to hold for McEntee, but how much of what you said applies to whoever holds the post? I can’t see that her predecessors left much of a lasting impression in DoD either. In terms of policy making in defence internationally the various PM and security councils also predominate. As for interference from the spending controllers look no further than the UK for the role of the Treasury. The job is what it is exacerbated here by a historic indifference to the sector.

vswr · 04-03-2026 10:29AM

I love 30 year, 10 year roadmaps.

Overpromise, under deliver, nobody will notice - Irish Gov

roadmaster · 04-03-2026 02:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124283555#Comment_124283555

Well at least the State is in a major rush to clarfify IMIS role. Months = Years

https://gript.ie/mcentee-to-clarify-military-intelligence-role-within-months/

expectationlost · 06-03-2026 06:53PM

https://www.kildarestreet.com/committees/?id=2026-02-26a.155&s=EEZ#g172

The timeline for Defence Forces counter capability is September but they are not the only agencies providing this. The Defence Forces are supporting the work of An Garda Síochána, which will have a significant amount of counter drone technology. The Defence Forces have responsibility for Baldonnel and they have given a clear commitment on responding to it. Dublin Airport and other areas will be responded to by An Garda Síochána. To be clear, the Defence Forces do not have sole responsibility.

and more non-answers from the

There is no agreement, despite reports today that we have made an agreement with France and the UK that we would have ships in our waters, in our EEZ or within our 12-nautical mile limit. I am exploring what options may be available to us should we require assistance. Whether we compare ourselves to Denmark or anybody else, what I am looking at is the fact that we have a maritime domain seven times the size of our land mass. We have certain capabilities, but if we require additional support, we should not be afraid to ask for it, if it is within our constitutional limits.

Joint Committee on Defence and National Security

Larbre34 · 06-03-2026 07:03PM

Yeah. The Guards are paying for police officers from France, Spain and Portugal to come in and operate counter-drone positions during the presidency. This was already done on a smaller scale during the Zelenskyy official visit.

That committee is a waste of everyone's time, so limited is its remit.

expectationlost · 03-04-2026 01:40PM

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/2026/03/30/investigation-fails-to-determine-origin-of-drones-around-zelenskiys-dublin-flight/

A four-month Garda investigation into the origins of large drones spotted close to the Dublin fight path of Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has failed to determine who was responsible, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said.

^ alleged…

Larbre34 · 03-04-2026 03:54PM

Well obviously there would be a failure to determine what or if this presence was, because we do not have sufficient civilian and military security infrastructure to detect, identify, pursue or destroy such craft.

The fact some crew aboard a naval service vessel in the bay allegedly captured the flight of some of these drones on their personal mobile phone cameras was quite by chance, and purely coincidental.

And I must say I don't believe for one second that the Gardaí and DF will have the resources to prevent a similar repeat during the EU presidency. The only possible counter will be the widescale deployment of men and equipment from other EU countries.

Security threats to Ireland from hybrid warfare

Comments

Joint Committee on Defence and National Security