Ireland is to deepen naval co-operation with France and Britain, including allowing their vessels to patrol Irish-controlled waters and offer protection during the EU presidency.
The move towards deeper co-operation will be outlined on Wednesday with the unveiling of the National Maritime Security Strategy, which will set out planned measures to protect Irish waters and subsea infrastructure.
Much of the strategy focuses on increasing co-operation with European allies, both bilaterally and through organisations such as Nato.
One goal will be to forge links with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a UK-led alliance focused on maritime security. The JEF is not a part of Nato, although all 10 current members are also Nato members.
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It is designed to respond rapidly to military crises on behalf of Nato or the UN. Ireland is not proposing becoming a full member of the JEF. Instead, it will be a part of “JEF+”, a new concept to allow allied nations to take part in individual exercises and operations as they see fit.
Participation in JEF+ will offer Ireland opportunities to “learn from its experiences and best practices”, the strategy states.
The Department of Defence “will move quickly to open discussions” with JEF member states to secure access for the Defence Forces.
Ireland’s participation is specifically focused on addressing the threat from the Russia shadow fleet, a group of hundreds of vessels used by Moscow to transport sanctioned oil.
Shadow fleet vessels often enter Irish economic waters where they occasionally loiter over subsea cables. They are also considered an environmental risk due to their poor condition.
The strategy states Ireland will “maximise” opportunities to work with Nato to increase “maritime domain awareness” and protect subsea infrastructure.
In addition, Ireland will support international and EU efforts to counter the shadow fleet, including new sanctions and “participation in relevant operational initiatives”.
Increased co-operation with France and the UK form a key part of the strategy. This will include appointing liaison officers to maritime security agencies in those countries.
While it is not mentioned in the strategy, security sources said this increased co-operation will facilitate the stationing of French and UK vessels in Irish economic waters to assist with maritime security.
This may include patrols of Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the stationing of frigates off the coast to provide air defence during the EU presidency, which Ireland assumes in July.
A security source said any such decision would have to come from Government but that they do not believe it would be a controversial move. They pointed to Germany providing air defence assets to Denmark while it held the presidency last year.
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However, such co-operation could be open to legal challenges. Article 15 of the Constitution states: “No military or armed force, other than a military or armed force raised and maintained by the Oireachtas, shall be raised or maintained for any purpose whatsoever.”
One solution could be for French and UK ships to remain outside Irish territorial waters, which extend out to 12 nautical miles, but inside the Irish EEZ.
The strategy also commits to improving Ireland’s ability to monitor its maritime area, including rolling out a military radar programme and a sonobuoy programme.
Officials will explore the possibility of Ireland hosting or taking part in an “EU regional monitoring hub” for protection of subsea infrastructure.
Other commitments include the creation of “forward operating bases” for the Naval Service on the east and west coasts and the development of a special forces unit specifically focused on maritime tasks.
“The first National Maritime Security Strategy provides a roadmap over the next five years to safeguard Ireland’s sovereign maritime interests, ensure safe and secure seas and promote and support international law in the maritime domain,” the document states.
Proposals for the expansion of the Naval Service and plans to get additional ships back to sea will be outlined in a separate document, the Naval Service Regeneration Plan, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
