An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September / October 2024 www.military.ie/magazine 12 | T he Commissioning on 4th September 2024 of two Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs), LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait, was a milestone in the regeneration of the Navy, and marked the beginning of a new chapter in the life of these warships. Both have previously served with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as, respectively, HMNZS Pukaki and HMNZS Rotoiti. But why has Ireland acquired these ships, what can they do, and what will they do? The White Paper on Defence Update 2019 envisaged the replacement of the two Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPVs), LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara, but required consideration as to the nature of their replacements. Both vessels were built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy in 1984, acquired by Ireland in 1988, and had by 2021 almost four decades of seagoing service. Normal wear and tear and the obsolescence of systems and equipment meant that maintaining these platforms to continue to serve in the fleet was not economically viable, and the options of purchasing new ships or acquiring existing vessels were explored. An analysis was conducted of the capability gap resulting from the retirement of the CPVs, and the operational requirements resulting from Brexit, which created a border between the EU and Britain in the Irish Sea. Accordingly, any replacement ships would have to be suitable for operations primarily in the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea. Additionally, there has been growing awareness of the vulnerability of Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) – the seabed cables and pipelines which transfer power and information between countries – and the requirement to provide a secure environment for the burgeoning Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) field – windfarms, wave or tidal energy generators. The Navy needed ships which could patrol off the east and southeast coasts, maintaining Maritime Domain Awareness and the ability to secure its maritime in the eastern littoral. At this time, New Zealand was seeking to sell two of its four Lake Class IPVs, designed and built to carry out Maritime Law Enforcement tasks and to patrol the coastal waters of the country, which, like Ireland, has a maritime Area of Interest many times the size of its landmass. Analysis concluded that these ships met the above operational requirements, and, further, were designed to operate with half the crew numbers of our Navy's larger Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). In a time of significant personnel challenges, these ships represented a viable platform for Maritime Defence and Security Operations to the east and south-east, allowing the larger OPVs, which have greater range and endurance, to patrol the southern and western parts of our maritime domain, and to deploy on maritime missions Overseas, such as Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean. Purchase of these vessels would address the capability requirement in an economical and timely way, and a Government to Government sale was agreed with New Zealand in early 2022, contingent upon a programme of works to ensure both ships met Lloyd's Special Service Class rules – that is, externally certified as being fit-for-purpose and safe to operate as warships. A naval team of Subject Matter Experts, both operational and technical, deployed to New Zealand in July 2022, while the ships were being regenerated to that standard. They recommended a number of equipment modifications and upgrades to the ships, in order to standardise the fit with the wider fleet, thereby saving money on maintenance, parts and training, over the expected decade or more of service of these ships in Ireland. A second deployment of largely the same SMEs took place in February 2023, to monitor Harbour and Sea Acceptance Trials, following which the Department of Defence accepted the ships on behalf of the State in March. The ships were transferred by heavy lift ship to Ireland, arriving in the Naval Base Haulbowline in May 2023, upon which a programme commenced to complete the military fit-out and to integrate them with the DF network. The fit-out of P71, then unnamed, was prioritised, as was her crewing, in order to focus resources on bringing one of the two ships into operation as soon as possible. INSHORE PATROL VESSELS: INSHORE PATROL VESSELS: LITTORALY CAPABLE LITTORALY CAPABLE ARTICLE BY CDR FRANK O'CONNOR ARTICLE BY CDR FRANK O'CONNOR Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Michéal Martin TD inspects the Naval Service Guard of Honour The Ensign is raised on both Inshore Patrol Vessels as part of the Commissioning and naming ceremony The Naval Service Guard of Honour in position Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Michéal Martin TD signs the visitors book with Officer Commanding LÉ GOBNAIT Lt Cdr Aisling O'Flynn

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