Gardaí receive advanced counter-drone training ahead of Ireland's EU presidency

They have also received mobile Garda counter-drone vans and equipment, with members of a specialist section trained in their use

The drone course ran for a full week this month and provided gardaí with intensive live training, use of cutting-edge technology and the deployment of both 'soft kill' and 'hard kill' options. File picture: Larry Cummins

Specialist gardaí have taken part in an advanced counter-drone course run by experienced European and Ukrainian experts as part of Garda preparations for the EU presidency.

The drone course ran for a full week this month and provided gardaí with intensive live training, use of cutting-edge technology and the deployment of both “soft kill” and “hard kill” options.

Security sources said this exercise follows “significant capital investment” in mobile Garda counter-drone vans and equipment, with members of a specialist section trained in their use.

Sources said this strengthening of counter-drone capabilities, together with similar investment by the Defence Forces, means Ireland has “capacity commensurate with other EU countries” in this area.

It is part of efforts by gardaí to plan and prepare for policing and security operations during the six months of the presidency, starting in just two weeks’ time.

The Garda Special Tactics and Operations Command (STOC) is responsible for the force’s counter-drone activity and its personnel operate the mobile vans and the counter-drone equipment.

Many of these are understood to be existing members of Armed Support Units, which are present in most divisions.

The Advanced C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Ariel Systems) training course was operated under the High-Risk Security Framework (HRSF), part of the European Commission’s action plan to strengthen the protection of public places.

It was run in Portugal by the Guarda Nacional Republicana School, with drone trainers also from the Ukrainian National Guard.

A statement issued by the HRSF said: “Five days of intensive training with specialists from 11 European countries, gathered to train side-by-side on the skills necessary to detect, analyse and neutralise unmanned aerial systems. 

"More the just a tool, drones are becoming a real, growing and increasingly sophisticated threat. This challenge demands advanced and co-ordinated preparation and response capabilities.” 

STOC personnel took part along with specialist units from 10 other EU countries.

The training included: 

• identification and analysis of UAS threats to detection by RF (radio frequency jamming), radar, camera and artificial intelligence systems; 
• kinetic mitigation (munitions, lasers or nets to physically destroy drones) and inhibition methods; 
• tactical mission planning; 
• protection of high-risk individuals; 
• security of critical infrastructures and large events in public spaces; 
• nighttime operations.

The range of options are described as “soft kill” — use of jamming or cyber takeover of drones — to “hard kill” – which involves destroying or disabling the drone by firing munitions, lasers, nets etc at it.

Sources said soft kill options are the typical response, particularly in urban areas, as hard kill options result in debris potentially falling on people.

They said the course is “critical” in informing counter-drone responses and capabilities.

Sources also said that specialist units from other member states — particularly with experience of operating drones — can support other countries on request.

It is stressed that foreign experts — for example in Ireland during the presidency — would be accompanied at all times by garda counter-drone operators and gardaí would make all intervention decisions.

• Cormac O’Keeffe is security correspondent for the Irish Examiner