French Navy MARPAT

Psychlops

I note for the past few days the French Navy have been conducting Maritime Patrols off the Irish West Coast with Atlantiques & refuelling in Shannon. Interesting.

banie01

Would love to see more of it. On other threads I've mentioned I think that inviting an EU partner to base aircraft here, at SNN for example, is a great way to build experience amongst IAC personnel in ground ops and supporting high tempo ops. Its not just for air policing, but also MARPAT.

Our 295's are lovely kit, albeit hamstrung by being built FFBNW subsea gear and IMHO being too few in number. Having France operate Atlantique 2 out of SNN gives a real opportunity to have IAC personnel trained up by experienced operators. Learning cheeky by jowl with and from our closest EU neighbour

Dohvolle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058354106/french-navy-marpat

They aren't the only ones. Norwegian and British ASW aircraft have been heading out there all last week.

It's not because we can't, our new C295 was up and about off the SW during the week too.

My guess is they are working further west.

roadmaster

When we bought the casas in 94 did the French ever try to flog us Atlantiques?

Economics101

Why aren't the likes of Wallace and Daly going apesh*t over this? Bescuse the aircraft appear to be European and not from the Great Satan?

sparky42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122209745#Comment_122209745

because unless you are paying attention you won’t notice.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122209745#Comment_122209745

They've got bigger fish to fry, i.e., their political future is very much in jeopardy next Friday.

Besides, any such complaint by them now, given their well demonstrated sympathy for just about anyone but Ireland, the EU, and their allies, would likely rally the people to the increased security and defence cooperation policies of this government, vis-a-vis NATO and our close friends in western Europe.

Honestly they can f**k off ta hell.

Grassy Knoll

interesting article in today’s Sunday times, basically the French, UK and Norwegians are Russian sub hunting off the west coast … our impotence in this regard was highlighted….

Psychlops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122209745#Comment_122209745

Because they dont know about it, they probably do now, but fcuk them, good for nothing useful idiots for Russia.

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058354106/french-navy-marpat

This has happened twice to date.

purplepanda

I'm assuming that facilitating overseas nations military search & detect capabilities by allowing aviation assets & military personnel refueling, recouperation & supply from an Irish airport is not exactly neutral behaviour. 😎

So will the crusty tankie Putin stooges make their usual ranting statements regarding these events, as they usually do when US military aircraft visit Shannon airport?

Dohvolle

Torygraph has a pretty damning, if accurate hit piece on our disinterest in ASW activities today. Well worth a read, even for this rag.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/04/nato-sea-power-cui-russian-submarines-ireland-eu/

tippilot

It should be reasonably straightforward to modify current C295s with sonobuoy rack and launch tube. Additional FITS workstation may be required. MAD boom may prove more difficult but given the P-8 has discarded that technology it's not a deal breaker. Detect and deter in all domains should be policy, so the activation of the under wing weapon hardpoints is a must.

roadmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122221677#Comment_122221677

The lack of Interest by the State,Public and Media here says it all