Call for increase in Army's Rangers

The Department of Defence is considering proposals to increase the Army's elite Ranger unit in response to the worsening global security situation since September 11th, 2001.

Currently the Ranger unit numbers almost 100, but the Defence Forces are lobbying the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, to increase numbers to 120.

The proposal first came from senior Rangers. Officials at Defence Forces' headquarters, at Infirmary Road, in Dublin, are backing the plan and have lobbied the Minister on the issue. However, a spokesman for the Defence Forces said a formal proposal had not yet been drawn up.

He said the expansion plans had been mooted in response to the heightened threat to global security and a possible attack on a number of foreign embassies in Dublin, including the US, British and Israeli embassies.

While the current review of the size of the unit also included a review of its weaponry, the spokesman said it was unlikely any new weapons would be introduced.

The Rangers are equipped with a wide variety of weapons, most of which are used by international Defence Forces including the British and German armies. These include the German HK33 and HK53 automatic rifles, the MP5 sub-machine gun, the Swiss made Sig P226 pistol and the British AI96.308 Accuracy International sniper system.

A selection course for entry into the Ranger unit began at the Curragh, Kildare, yesterday. Around 40 serving soldiers have put themselves forward for membership of the specialised unit. They will undergo an intensive four-week selection programme, from which three or four will be chosen for a further six months of training.

Traditionally just a handful of new members are taken into the unit every year, meaning a major recruitment drive would need to be undertaken if Ranger numbers were to be increased to 120 in the short to medium term.

The ranger wing is made of an elite, specially trained group of troops which undertakes the Army's most dangerous missions. Most recently they were the first Irish troops on the ground in Liberia, where around 400 Irish soldiers are currently serving in the UN's peace enforcement mission.

As well being the State's premier military manoeuvres unit, the Rangers are also trained to deal with anti-terrorist urban conflict situations, such as the hostage-taking witnessed in Russia last week. They are also trained in parachuting, combat diving, small boat handling and mountaineering.