Government may boost numbers of elite army wing

THE Government is considering proposals to boost the strength of an elite army unit following a terrorist threat assessment.

Senior military officers in the Defence Forces have called on the Department of Defence to sanction an increase in the size of the Army Ranger Wing (ARW).

The proposal would see a further expansion of the ARW from just under 100 to 120. The Department of Defence agreed to increase the strength of the special operations unit to 100 after assessments carried out before and after the September 11 attacks on the US.