Ireland is to join a European maritime intelligence network in response to the increasing numbers of Russian naval vessels travelling through Irish-controlled waters.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has also ordered officials to speed up planned purchases of radar and sonar technology due to the threat.
The announcement comes after several recent appearances of Russian naval ships in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Last week, the Viktor Leonov was spotted by Irish authorities travelling down the western seaboard.
The Leonov, a Soviet-era intelligence gathering ship was declared a “vessel of interest” by the Defence Forces and shadowed by the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps for about 36 hours before leaving the EEZ. It failed to respond to several attempts at communication during that time.
[ Russian Navy intelligence-gathering ship has now left Irish-controlled watersOpens in new window ]
On Monday, Ireland will officially become a member of the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), which the Government says will “boost Ireland’s maritime surveillance.”
The alliance is made up of 11 European Union countries with substantial coastlines, including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Finland and Portugal.
As a member of the network, Ireland will be able to receive and share intelligence on the movement of suspicious vessels through EU waters.
The Naval Service will be the lead agency and its headquarters in Haulbowline, Co Cork, will become a dedicated “node” in the intelligence-sharing network.
This will allow Ireland to “actively share information about vessels of interest and other actors that enter our seas,” said Mr Harris. “I very much believe that European security is best served by working together and that very much goes to the heart of what this initiative is about.”
Membership of the network will mark a step towards the Defence Forces being able to establish a “recognised maritime picture” which will allow it to monitor all of the State’s EEZ, which is 450,000 square kilometres in size.
Also crucial to this will be the acquisition of dedicated military radar and sonar systems. Mr Harris is expected to announce on Monday he has ordered officials to speed up the purchase of these systems.
As well as tracking potential military threats, the CISE system is used to share information on illegal fishing, drug trafficking and pollution threats. It is also used for protecting critical maritime infrastructure and for search and rescue and border control purposes.
It will be open to other Irish agencies, such as the coast guard and Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to become members down the line.
CISE will eventually form part of future EU plans to protect subsea cables, such as those clustered around Ireland’s southwest coast.
The Government is currently drafting a national maritime security strategy in response to potential maritime threats, while a dedicated maritime security unit has been established in the Department of Defence.
However, manpower issues mean the Naval Service’s ability to patrol Irish waters is severely limited. It is typically unable to deploy more than one ship at a time.
The Government has committed to developing a nine-ship naval fleet by 2028. This will eventually increase to 12 ships, each of which will be double crewed.
Plans are also in train to acquire a large multipurpose vessel, at a cost of up to €300 million, which will be capable of operating in Irish and international waters.
