Inside the Defence Forces operation helping gardaí secure Ireland’s EU Presidency

Donald Trump will be in Ireland for a two-day visit next month (Brian Lawless/PA)

Security cooperation between the Defence Forces and gardaí has reached its “highest level” under dedicated structures established for Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.

The systems include the first integrated Defence Forces operations centre – the Joint Task Force (JTF) – which provides An Garda Síochána with real-time information from assets requested by gardaí as part of security plans.

It also involves the first dedicated senior Joint Defence Forces representative at the Garda Operational Centre, known as Indigo Base. This officer provides live information to garda tactical and operational commanders about Defence Forces assets and relays information back to the JTF.

The range of assets sought by gardaí spans the three main Defence Forces services – the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps – and includes everything from specialist engineering services and bomb disposal to counter-drone technology, air policing and maritime security.

Air Corps personnel conducting Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Picture: Defence Forces/PA Wire

All capabilities are based on what gardaí have requested, officially transmitted through C70 forms.

Under Defence Forces Operation Fianna, the JTF is assisting gardaí with major EU events, starting with the opening ceremony in Dublin Castle on July 1 and the College of Commissioners meeting in Cork on July 2-3.

The JTF will be assisting gardaí during three sets of EU Presidency events running throughout the week and will be involved in the official visit of US president Donald Trump from September 12-14, in Dublin and Clare.

‘Firsts’ for Defence Forces

The new structures established under the presidency include:

• The Defence Forces JTF, under the command of Colonel Noel Maher, which brings together planners from the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps;
• Under the JTF, Col Maher has legal command authority over land, sea and air assets;
• The JTF is a permanent structure for a defined period, established last April and operating throughout the six months of the presidency, until the end of December;
• The JTF Operations Centre – known as the Octagon – is led by Col Maher and brings together planners from the various services, as well as Logistics, Communications and Military Intelligence;
• The Octagon has visual representations of various management and information systems, including the location and activity of assets;
• A representative of the Irish Military Intelligence Service provides any necessary intelligence, including relevant intelligence from external military intelligence agencies;
• The JTF has established contact with militaries in EU states which have recently held the EU Presidency, providing information on tactics and threats;
• A dedicated full-time Defence Forces representative – the deputy commander of the JTF – is based at Garda Indigo Base during operations and has live visual and audio access to the JTF Operations Centre;
• The liaison officer has authority to exercise professional judgement on what information to bring to the attention of garda commanders.

An EC-135 with special operation forces snipers (Defence Forces/PA)

‘Highest’ level of cooperation

This representative, whose identity is protected, said there is “very much open flow of information” between him and the gardaí.

“Whatever information I feel is relevant to the safety and security of the event I will inform the garda tactical commander and they make the assessment,” he said.

“In terms of the Garda-DF liaison, that is the highest level of integration that we’ve had in that joint sense, and it’s very much needed for security in support of the gardaí.” 

A ground-based air defence team at Dublin Airport (Defence Forces/PA)

Journalists were provided with a briefing from senior officers, led by Col Maher, of the JTF during a visit to their offices in McKee Barracks in Dublin and given access to the Operations Centre and staff working there.

Lieutenant Colonel Barry Hannon said the two opening EU events were “large operations” for the Defence Forces and involved land, air, maritime and counter-drone assets, both airborne, on helicopters, and on land, with more operations to come between now and the end of the year.

He said the counter-drone system – known as Sky Warden – is a “very advanced and comprehensive” system and readily deployable if gardaí request it.

Gardaí have their own mobile counter-drone technology, operated by trained members of the regional Armed Support Units.

A counter drone team at Dublin Airport (Defence Forces/PA)

The Sky Warden system was in place before Ireland’s EU Presidency began and is the first part of the acquisition of a Primary Radar system for the Defence Forces, encompassing land, air and sea radar capabilities.

The military radar system has three components: long-range, land-based primary radar; ground-based air defence systems, including counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (CUAS); and maritime radar. The Government plans to have the system in place by the end of 2028.

Inside the Octagon

Lt Col Hannon said the Octagon has a “visual real-time depiction on land, sea and air and gives real-time updates to gardaí as to what our assets are seeing and doing”, including if the assets need to take action against a potential threat to a presidency event.

Col Maher said the liaison representative, who is his deputy, at Garda Indigo Base “provides gardaí with a single touch point” for the entire Defence Forces, across all its services.

The Octagon is inside McKee Barracks in Dublin (Defence Forces/PA)

He said that while the Defence Forces have had a liaison in garda operational headquarters before, it was the “first time for a joint perspective”, encompassing the entire Defence Forces organisation.

Col Maher said this dedicated presence has proved “excellent”. He said the “synchronisation” of all Defence Forces assets and staff is the “future” of the organisation.

“This is a springboard of what is going to come and the modernisation of the Defence Forces,” he said.

The establishment of the first JTF in the Defence Forces stems from key recommendations made by the Commission on the Defence Forces, which reported in February 2022.

In addition to significant investment in the organisation, the commission urged a restructuring and modernisation to introduce a “joint” command structure across the separate services of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, as well as the planned Cyber Command.

The Joint Task Force operates out of McKee barracks (Defence Forces/PA)

Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Major General John Whittaker, who has overall command of the JTF, said: “We have successfully deployed close to 10% of the entire Defence Forces in support of An Garda Síochána on multiple operations. The Joint Task Force is the proof of concept of the future Joint Forces Command.”

Foreign military assistance

The Defence Forces could not provide any information on the assistance being provided by foreign militaries, particularly navies, in securing Ireland’s EU Presidency, pointing out that this was a matter for the Department of Defence.

Both the French and British navies are providing assistance to the Defence Forces, particularly during high-level EU Presidency events, including next week. As reported in the Irish Examiner last February, such military assistance has to be outside Irish territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the coast.

Asked how the activity of foreign navies is integrated with Operation Fianna and the JTF, the Department of Defence said: “For operational and security reasons, we will not be commenting.” 

A C-295 aircraft conducting surveillance (Defence Forces/PA)

At the launch of the country’s Maritime Security Strategy last February, defence minister Helen McEntee said she wanted to put defence cooperation with the UK and France on a “more permanent footing”, citing the existing intelligence-sharing procedures between the countries.

She said this would be separate to the engagement Ireland will have ahead of its presidency of the EU, where she said the Government may seek additional support from other countries.

Asked about the benefits to gardaí from the JTF and the liaison, the Garda Press Office said in a statement that An Garda Síochána’s Operation Brehon – the security operation for the EU Presidency – is the “largest and most complex security operation” in the history of the State.

It declined to comment specifically on the benefits of the Defence Forces JTF but added: “As part of security for major operations, An Garda Síochána regularly seeks the assistance of the Defence Forces, as Aide to the Civil Power, in accordance with agreed protocols.”