3 New Navy Vessels for Irish Naval Service

There are other "Moskva"s. One of which was in our EEZ not long ago.

I recall the NS did some ASW TRAINING a couple of years ago when the Dutch came on a visit with a sub..

Surely 2 of the 4 OPV's could be enhanced at the quarter life refit to do MCM? As an interim measure...I'd be the first to approve of a 12 ship navy, but I'm not banking on it happening any time soon.

The whole point about dedicated MCM vessels, is that their hulls are fibre-glass composite or non-ferrous metal, in other words, not magnetic.

You can re-equip an existing OPV all you like for mine hunting, but you can't change the fact they have a sheet steel hull. Good look getting volunteers for that duty!!

Thats minehunting of old, it isn't done that way any more. Now all you need is a ship capabble of carrying and remotely commanding a team of mine clearance USVs. Take a look at the Brlgian/NL vessels currently being built in France. They are a long way from the Tons or Hunts, or even the Sandowns.

While mine hunting and clearance diving can be done from any vessel fitted for the purpose, it is more than likely mine fields involving moored mines sown in numbers will still need to be swept or destroyed individually. a long process. I wouldn't put money on what ships will pass out of service first. Perhaps the acquired LAKES with Aluminium Construction might struggle to remain seaworthy in Northern Climes. We will have to see. There seems to be a bit of grey powdery marks around engine casings. Perhaps HAO?

End of the day it will come down to €€€€ and how much DL stands to get from it.

An yet they have room for 3 boat clubs that are struggling to keep a float.

The local TDs are particualrly eager to get the navy in as they believe it will save th3 harbour

Then we have towns along the west coast fighting for a base

DLR Council shouldn't mistake Defence Forces installations for any common or garden public development, of a leisure or service variety.

If the NS and DF and DoD recommend to the Govt and other Departments that Dun Laoghaire is the optimum location from which to operate East Coast patrols, then that's where the ships will be based and DLR may get with the programme.

Why do you think DL is being considered? Because almost no funds are required to bring it up to standard, unlike the other suggestions.

Arkla: Miles from any civilisation, same as Drogheda. Port Oriel? You do understand what the IPV role will be, do you? COP ON! Not to mention the backwater is too small for the smallest vessels the NS will ever operate. Do you own land there or something?

Wait.

You expect the DoD to go to a dive like port oriel and build a harbour just for the 2 ships of the NS that might use it, in the hope that the Fishy men, WAFIs, and the other operators of floating drinks cabinets have somewhere to keep their floating 2nd mortgage?

That is not how it works. The NS is struggling to Keep ships at sea and crews on ships. Building harbours for those to mean to build their own is not the solution. Galway is another place that a certain element believe the state should provide a deepwater harbour for. You can find this mentality in a wide range of CoDF submissions.

I like Arklow.

Haulbowline is miles from civilisation.

Dun Laoghaire is one of the most difficult parts of Dublin to get to, and your average NS sailor cannot afford to live nearby.

So why not Arklow, what is wrong with the infrastructure?

Define "base"? We are not moving the entire NS to DL here, (or galway for that matter). The plan seems to be have facilities there so the ships can homeport on the East coast, where they will spend most of their working life. You don't need oil tanks, plenty of storage in the port already. Quicker to top up from road tankers. You only need basic overnight accom facilities. Think your average self catering hostel, so the crews don't need to live aboard ship when not at sea, and basic admin facilities, with secure access 24/7, easily managed by private security and modern technology.

Consider with the move to double crewing, this may be the crews workplace when not at sea. In line with all other military facilities in the state, there would be an expectation that basic level of Gym would also be included.

While there is a plan to use the ferry terminal as a hot-desking hub, there would be nothing stopping the DF from taking over a waterside portion of the building for their use. I never used the new terminal, I'm unfamiliar with its internal layout, but on the map, there is secure quay space and parking already. I'm sure the 4 man team who recently visited NZ might have picked up a few ideas with their NS operation too.

DL is not an inaccessible place. It's on the Dart and not far out from the centre.