British Maritime Patrol Aircraft were conducting missions off the west coast of Ireland ahead of a planned Russian live-fire naval exercise to the south of Ireland later this week.

Here’s a time-lapse of the flights I posted to Twitter.

Two P-8 aircraft were operating off the coast of Ireland, one flying around the island in an anti-clockwise direction and the other flying in a small area off the northwest coast.

Why?

Russia is holding ‘live-fire’ naval exercises between February 3rd-8th off the Irish coast. Originally, the exercises were to be held 240km (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland – in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.

The tweet below shows the original location.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney last week objected to the exercise:

“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine. The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”

Russia’s embassy in Ireland on Saturday posted on Facebook saying the exercises would be relocated outside of the Irish economic zone “with the aim not to hinder fishing activities”.

What does P-8 do?

According to the Royal Air Force website, Boeing’s Poseidon MRA1 (P-8A) is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.

“The Poseidon’s comprehensive mission system features an APY-10 radar with modes for high-resolution mapping, an acoustic sensor system, including passive and multi-static sonobuoys, electro-optical/IR turret and electronic support measures (ESM). This equipment delivers comprehensive search and tracking capability, while the aircraft’s weapons system includes torpedoes for engaging sub-surface targets.”

The UK has nine of these aircraft.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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52 COMMENTS

  1. Further proof Russia intends to menace all parts of Europe with such operations. Some may say they are only doing what NATO does, yet that never gets labeled as threatening? Sadly, it hardly carries the same underlining intent as those conducted by Russia. If there is an invasion of Ukraine and Putin incurred crippling sanctions, then I fear he will intensify military demonstrations across Europe in response, and thereby, increase the threat of accidental confrontation.

  2. so the Royal Air Force are policing the Shannon Sole area with the P8s, and another patrolling around the coast of Ireland looking for Russian attack Subs no doubt. Its hardly surprising is it! That is what our P8s are for. We received them in the nick of time don’t you think. How embarrassing that we very nearly lost this capability when the Nimrod was thrown in the bin, a capability the British were renowned for. Okay the Nimrod was not fit for purpose and ill not go into the reason why as it is a long drawn out argument. We have a fleet of 9 P8s with 2 on simultaneous patrol. Do we need more?

      • Unfortunately the aircraft was severely lacking in its latter years, the fleet received a lot of temporary mods for the Falklands conflict and were never dealt with properly during upgrades and major servicing mainly because of costs. Inflight refulling being a major concern. When Nimrod 2000 came in British aerospace did not take into account that the airframes were hand built, not on jigs, when they tried to marry the new wings onto the fuselage they would not fit, this is because they used a donor fuselage to measure off. I’m not saying Nimrod was crap it was when it came into service years ahead of its time and served this country well.

        • Mark, it was the physical joining of wings and fuselage that was the main issue, the combat out fit was state of art and would have been better overall than the P8. But anyone with a little common would tell you handmade to imperial measurements and computer designed and made metric would never fit. And the RAF are not without blame on that one. Another waste of money on what could have been just what we needed and the 21 originally forecast was just the min needed to carry out the function, Still in need of more P8’s (double at least and they could cover some of the lost function of the Sentinels, we again gave away. God help us if it kicks off

          • As I tried tried to explain. The fuselage was milled to imperial measurements, they were warned by the SENGO who was involved with the project but would not listen, also the work was subcontracted out by British Areospace at the beginning, cost overruns bought the project back in house. There were problems installing new kit and the resert fans could no cope with the heat generated by the systems and the heat is normally dissipated along the leading edge of the wings. The project was manged in a manner that was disgraceful. British areospace wanted a new build project from the start, if that had happened we might be in a different place than we are today.

          • I always wondered why they didn’t just remake the fuselages as well, they were remaking the wings and tails and everything inside the damn thing …. they could have built a brand new world beating airplane for the money they spent.

            I sometimes think our politicians are paid by the Yanks to keep screwing up our aviation industry. When you look at some of the decisions made over the last 70 odd years – some beggar belief.

            I’m just wondering whether to say TSR2 then run away and hide. Maybe not.

          • Haha Douglas. I have done TSR2 and run away on many occasions AND thrown in Supersonic Harrier for good measure!!

          • The TSR2 was never given a chance. There were the usual teething problems such as issues with undercarriage but during the first trial runs RAF pilots and others gave it rave reviews.. A Lightning chase aircraft could barely keep up and the test pilot Roland Beamont described her as ‘steady as a rock’ or similar words at top end speeds. It was killed by Harold Bloody Wilsons stupidity, BAC’s poor marketing skills and even remarkably a statement from someone high up in British Industry/Government advising the Aussies AGAINST buying it!!! They opted for what was then the RAF’s next choice-off the shelve F111’s but the RAF ended up having to do with Phantoms and the stand alone British military Aircraft Industry was effectively finished after all of this.

  4. Is Ireland making any sort of Financial contribution to this? What sort of Maritime patrol capability does Ireland posses in order to secure its own waters?

    • A flotilla of Fishing boats threatened to go out and confront the Russians ! and as the Govt refused to intercede the Fishermen’s Union requested a meeting with the Russian ambassador, the meeting went well and the Russians moved the exercise outside of the Fishing grounds, meanwhile Irish Navy Bath tubs confined to port due to crew shortages

      • And none of that is true actually. The Russian’s blew off the Fishermen within 30 minutes of the meeting and then came back a couple of days later with their announcement (before which the Fishermen had already backtracked themselves as their Insurance companies pointed out they wouldn’t be covered). Meanwhile one of the P60’s is shadowing since they entered the EEZ which they were always going to do. There’s only 2 hulls laid up.

        • Strange then that the Fishermen’s representatives were all over the TV and Radio telling the world how well the meeting had gone and praising the Russian Ambassador for his acquiescing to their requests, so you’re saying that was all a sham and they were lying.
          The bath tub remark was tongue in cheek remark not meant to be taken literally, however manpower shortages are a real concern for the Irish defence forces naval arm, are they not ?

          • And half an hour after the fishermen came out and declared victory, the Embassy spokesperson denied any such agreement in an official statement…

            Might it have been they were slightly out of their league not being statesmen?

            A further example might be the Russian Ambassador declaring there would be only two ships, yet the navy and air corps have seen 6 (and that’s not counting any subs) and despite the undertaking the fishermen got that you value, the Russians have been in the EEZ.

            And yes there’s manpower issues, particularly in the engineering department, however from memory hasn’t the RN had times where ships have been laid up for much the same reason?

        • The interesting link you posted does rather seem to contradict what you’re saying doesn’t it.
          The news comes after last week’s negotiations between West Cork-based fishing organisation IS&WFPO and the Russian embassy which led to an agreement that Russian warships would move their military exercises off the fish-rich Porcupine Bank and further out to sea.

        • My original post which you declared entirely wrong, only made the point that the Fishermen threatened to send a flotilla of fishing boats which they did.
          Fishermens representitives held negotiations with the Russians when Irish diplomats would not, and that the negotiations were successful, which they were, the Russians moved the excerscise away from the Porcupine Bank, see your own link.
          Further you admit yourself the manpower shortage issue is correct !
          I never said Irish AC would not monitor or made any mention of the Brits Navy manning levels, these Red Herrings, forgive the pun, are of your own creation.
          So in essence my original post was correct, if a little tongue in cheek.

    • It’s a good point – the Irish could procure their own small fleet of P8s – lets say 3, but at least they could manage to patrol their own waters with coordination with RAF

      • Even if more MPAs are bought it would most likely be more CASA 295s, not sure I could see them going with the P8, or whether there would be coordination with the RAF.

      • 2 actually, currently Casa 235s that are basically shagged to death with two new 295s replacing them, but they lack ASW features, or least they currently do, things might be getting “interesting”.

  5. Interesting article in navylookout about the various Russian naval moves happening. All a reminder I think that the Russians are very adept at grey zone warfare, and that a conflict has already essentially begun with them…

  7. Pressure by the Irish fishing industry persuaded the Russians to move the exercise area from inside the Irish Economic Area to outside it.

  8. Lets hope the Eire government is making a financial contribution to the protection of their EEZ. Not sure how much it costs to keep a P8 airborne on patrol, but I extect its a lot

        • No they wouldn’t as the majority would know that the Irish word Eire is not the same word as the Irish word Éire. Just use Ireland or Irish or ROI rather than try using a language you don’t understand.

          • Knowing the name of a country is being touchy now? How do brits like it when foreigners call the U.K. England for example?

            Other than that, I never understand why people (mainly British posters) always go out of their way to try and use Irish rather than just use English? I man in other threads about other European nations I don’t see many calling the nations by the non English name?

          • Love the way you start with ‘brits’, not even giving it a capital B …. People in glass houses really shouldn’t throw stones Mark….

          • But it’s the same word with the same meaning even without the capitalisation, and honestly take it up with autocorrect and Apple if you like (which seems to accept both). Eire and Éire however are different words.

            let me put it this way if in one of the usual threads about Spain and Gibraltar, if you comment do you use Spain or España? Do you refer to France as République française? Or do you just use the English names for the nations?

          • Morning Mark. When the Yanks say Queen of England or the English Prime Minister it pisses me off no end so I understand your point.
            Morning John😄 Hot and sticky here in Durban

          • Hi Mark.

            As I have seen you making the same correction just the other day with someone and on several other occasions over the years I for one understand if you’re getting tired of it.

            I don’t get the Eire use either. But equally I know neither Douglas or John meant any offense.

          • No it hasn’t. The UK (pretty much alone) refused to use Ireland/ROI due to Article 2/3 but ended that policy post GFA, but they used the correct term Éire is the correct Irish word in any formal usage (or random combinations of Irish and Republic). So people deliberately misspelling it is wrong and deliberately so.

            Like I asked, do you randomly use Spanish or French or German to name those nations, or do use the English name for them?

          • Crikey, that’s a triggered reply. And all because of missing wee thing above the letter E.

            Given I’m not Irish and I don’t speak or understand Irish, the use of the anglified version of that name: Eire (without the wee thing above the E) would seem to be exactly what you are advocating – after all the country has been called Eire by many in the UK for a long time now. I suppose its like us using Germany instead of Deutschland – we’re not expected to use the German names and spelling – why should we be expected to use the Irish Spelling.

            I fully expect you to be calling us the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” henceforth and if you use a lazy cutdown version like just “Britain” or call us “Brits” instead of “British” then you can’t complain if someone gets triggered and shouts you down. Luckily that is very unlikely to happen as most of use don’t get triggered with silly wee things like this.

          • The English word is IRELAND, not EIRE, are you being deliberate obtuse? Of course you are as the you highlight that you don’t use the Germany spelling but somehow should use the wrong Irish word rather than just using the right English word just to be insulting.

            well fair enough Great Englander, no point in wasting time correcting ignorance or the ignorant.

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