There is set to be an increase in foreign military activities within Irish-controlled waters over the coming weeks.
At least two Nato maritime exercises are expected to take place within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which stretches some 320km into the Atlantic. These exercises have been planned for some time and are unrelated to a group of Russian warships currently manoeuvring about 100km of Ireland’s south coast.
Defence sources said they believed the unusual route taken by the Russian vessels, which include the missile cruiser Marshall Ustinov and a submarine, is meant to be seen as provocative to Britain. The vessels have been loitering in a small area for several days, raising concerns among military observers they may travel up through the Irish Sea, a highly unusual route for Russian naval vessels.
The ships are believed to be returning home from a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean where they were supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At least two of them were previously involved in controversial naval exercises off the coast of Cork last February.
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The Irish, French and British militaries continue to monitor the group, although it is not known if the Defence Forces have deployed any vessels or aircraft to the area. The Defence Forces does not typically comment on the position of its ships. French and British naval vessels have been observed in the general area.
[ Defence Forces monitoring Russian warships acting unusually off Irish south coastOpens in new window ]
The planned Nato exercises will take place to the southwest and northwest of Ireland, and will involve multiple vessels and submarines conducting training manoeuvres, sources said. It is not clear if the exercises will involve live fire or if Irish aviation and maritime authorities will be required to issue public warnings. No warnings have appeared to date.
Both Nato forces and Russia have recently taken a renewed interest in the area of the North Atlantic off Ireland’s west coast. The area is regarded as strategically important for various reasons, including the presence of vital subsea communications cables which run off the southwest coast.
The area to the northwest is an important transit route for Nato nuclear armed submarines which are deployed into the North Atlantic from Scotland. These form part of Britain’s “continuous at sea nuclear deterrence”.
Nuclear armed submarines are occasionally observed sailing around the coast of Donegal, including on Wednesday when members of the public spotted what is believed to be a Nato submarine passing through Irish-controlled waters.
Earlier this year a safety warning was issued over planned French naval exercises in the Irish EEZ.
There is no legal barrier to foreign military ships transiting or conducting exercises in the Irish EEZ, as long as they remain outside Irish territorial waters which extend 22km from the coast.
