3 New Navy Vessels for Irish Naval Service

Ill post the link later but in the british times its saying naval vessels will also be kitted out with primary radar as well as land based radar

All the P60 class have a mast designed to carry Air Search radar, but the equipment was never included in the final build. They could be added at any time, with some minor internal modification.

Yes sort of. While you could fit the equipment, what you lack is the Ops Room environment a proper warship would have, where the CO can control all domains, as well as manage navigation of the ship, without distraction. Jury rigging towed sonar works fine if you are searching the seabed for sunken vessels or objects, but wouldn't suffice in a tactical environment.

P50 had a different mast to the P60.

The ops room and the fusion of sensor info at a single point are IMO vital to successful operation of any picket/detection/defence.

I am heartened to see the Minister acknowledge the shortcoming in our ability to provide even a notional defence. It is a failing that needs addressing and if I am completely honest? It is one I would hope is addressed by greater PESCO and NATO integration.

As with all our shortcomings, the ability to integrate and train with friendly forces who are already operating ASW and anti-mine ops would greatly help in getting a skills base in place.

I am fully of the opinion that we are in need of greater naval ability. We lie in a strategic area and aswell as that we cannot presume to rely on external salvation for our defensive failings without ourselves providing at least the very notional capabilities of self defence. In Ireland's case in particular, our areas of responsibility are our Island, our EEZ and Airspace and in supporting our UN missions.

The P60's afaik have the mast space and extra power availability to run Air Search radar. Space for fit of a capable ASM system may be an issue? Is there space for a Vertical Launch Cell? Or would a palletised system have sufficient deck space?

I think where we stand regarding current fleet and manpower are the issues that need to be addressed 1st.

Training and retaining manpower to run what we have needs to be addressed before we get the lads Gucci gear 😉

Yes, one deck below the bridge(which was already quite spacious). Got less use as the Sonar and later on Heli ops were removed.

Yes and no, from memory wasn’t the sonar a bit of a bodge job with a dunking sonar fitted? But yes in terms of moving back towards “mil spec” designs.

P31 had the installed capability on the airside to maintain, service, and fuel it's own helicopter. It had full raw radar coverage for smaller aerial targets out to 75miles and large aircraft to more than 100miles and with greater ranges on Secondary mode. The Sonar wasn't installed as a bodge job. It was a PMS 26 with passive and active scanning mode with a retractable dome. In the two years I had her, all systems worked as designed, including a functioning Ops room, infrared scanning, optical sights, and fire control by sight and by radar ball marker, range by laser.

She had the facility of IFF and could carry out an ATC function if required. Like all such systems, it's durability depended on maintenance and calibration, which in turn requires the will to retain function. When the main utility was withdrawn an Irish choice was made and things got shut down and repurposed for short term needs. In all frontline units decisions must be made for operational reasons only and technical short falls must not kill off a tactical prime advantage.

The French Naval Dept. Engineers who calibrated the flight deck and assessed the facilities gave her a higher suitability rating than their own D610 Tourville class GM Destroyers. She was branded a White Elephant by some because she was beyond their capacity to understand her potential. Her hangar became a lecture room, dining hall, Gym, and a shed.

Not in its current layout. Or location. And the fact all its cranes or gone, most of the heavy machinery required to build shops was sold off and the skills required to build ships are gone for at least a generation now,

But otherwise yeah.

Verolme was a Great yard in the 1960s, building ships the way they were built in the 1960s. But technology moved on and Verolme didn't catch up.

Because our government are inward looking, not viewing our seas as an asset, there is no incentive for an international shipbuilder to take on what is now the property of DSG and modernise it to modern standards. When you see where the last 6 Naval vessels were built in Devon, on a site and location not unlike Rushbrooke, you see what could be achieved.

There is potential that the offshore wind industry could see new life in the old yard, but that's still on paper only. The problem is, in the last 40 years since the yard chosed for shipbuilding as equipment ceased functioning, it was scrapped and removed. Barely a singe cent as been spent maintaining what is there. Nearby housing is encroaching to the extent that any attempt to realign fabrication sheds would be met with howls of objection.

Race is On by Irish Ports to Service Offshore Wind Farms (afloat.ie)

When the Irish Government( essentially TK Whittaker and Sean Lemass ) founded ISL they also acquired Cork Dockyard so they had a Fleet and a means to repair it from about 1940. Over the years between Cork Dockyard and later VCD a full drydock service was available to all but critically the Navy had a drydock on call. With the advent of DSG I detect a dilution of Drydock services and with the closure of Dublin Ship repair and drydock we are in a precarious position and our leaders seem unaware. The depiction of the DSG proposal shows absence of Drydock buildings and workshops. Their does not seem to be any cranes for mast work etc. An investment in the naval Drydock (bigger than Rushbrooke facility) may be the only long term strategic answer.

The critical matter is the availability of a suitable drydock for routine and essential repairs, painting, and maintenance. Shipbuilding is a different but possibly a worthwhile venture but not for Haulbowline. We could aim for a covered drydock, with a controllable environment, so that external electronics can be safely opened up. In the meantime nationally we must decree that a No drydock scenario must never emerge. A further consideration for future refits are steps towards Green propulsion and storage of compatible fuel.

That's an issue all right. Tis a favourite spot for family walks on the weekend and has been for decades.

the yacht clubs will have that shot down in an instant

Because they've both been there for over 100 years... I doubt they're going to say "ah well" if Dun Laoghaire CoCo or the Navy start setting up stuff which starts to inhibit how they function.

If there is a way where they can all co-exist, of course they haven't a leg to stand on, but I just don't see it being welcomed if there is a sniff of a land grab or restrictions on movements.