An Cosantóir

| 15 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE O n foot of the Government's decision in 2019, the Defence Forces is providing a contingent of personnel to participate in the German led European Union Battlegroup in 2025. 2 Brigade was selected as the Lead Formation and provides the majority of the personnel for this Unit. The Irish commitment to the Battlegroup primarily consists of a Mechanised Infantry Company, supported by a small Command Group and a Platoon sized National Support Element. The Contingent Commander remains under Irish Command while the Unit is in Ireland, but in the event of an operational deployment the Irish Contingent will come under the command of the French Force Commander, Major Gen De Larouziere. Ireland's participation in European Union Battlegroups demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the development of EU capabilities in the area of Crisis Management Operations. Battlegroups typically bring together Member States with different characteristics, traditions and capabilities. Not only have such deployments enhanced the Defence Forces capability, interoperability and training; it demonstrates that Ireland is an active partner in delivering on multi-lateral objectives within the European Union and supports Ireland's security and defence policy. The Irish contingent (IRCON) was established on the 1st of January 2024 and will remain in a "Stand-Up Phase" until the end of 2024. The primary focus of the "Stand-Up Phase" is to generate and train the contingent. The "Stand-Up Phase" will be followed by a "Stand-By Phase" where the contingent will be maintained at full strength and at high state of readiness to deploy on Crisis Management Operations throughout 2025. Personnel from across the Army volunteered to join the latest iteration of the Battlegroup. As this unit is primarily a Mechanised Infantry Company, the majority of the personnel come from the Infantry Battalions located in Dundalk, Athlone and Kilkenny. The Battlegroup has been a hub of training since January 2024. One aspect that differentiates a Battlegroup from other overseas units is that it has a significantly longer pre-deployment training period. As a result the IRCON has had the opportunity to run numerous courses to upskill our troops. Courses on the topics of public order, urban terrain warfare, and counter improvised explosive device are only some of the training that has been conducted to date. IRCON have had the opportunity of being the first members of the Defence Forces to receive new kit and equipment that is due to come into service in the coming years. Items such as laser light aiming devices for the Steyr Rifles, tactical radios and upgraded ballistic plate carriers are but some of the equipment that has been prioritised for the contingent. There is still a significant amount of equipment to be integrated into the unit, such as upgraded night vision equipment and designated marksmanship rifles which will be rolled out in the next months. In advance of this month's National Certification Exercise, the Battlegroup has organised numerous exercises on mechanised infantry tactics in Kilworth Camp, urban terrain tactics in the Curragh Camp and most recently a logistics exercise in Gormanston Camp. The National Certification Exercise that began in early September assessed and evaluated the contingent on its ability to perform it's assigned task, as the Force Headquarters' Force Protection Company. At the end of the National Certification Exercise, the entirety of the Battlegroups vehicles, heavy equipment and logistics were forward deployed to the Battlegroup's logistic hub located near Frankfurt in Germany. This base will host a small team of Defence Forces logisticians who will oversee the battlegroup's equipment throughout the year and manage its distribution in the case of a deployment or exercise. IRCON will deploy in full to two multinational exercises with our international partners in the Battlegroup. The first exercise in Germany is an International Certification Exercise, where all the eleven participant EU Member States of the European Union Battlegroup in 2024/2025 will come together for the first time. The Irish Contingent will also be taking this opportunity to make use of the training areas that the German military has to offer. In April next year the Battlegroup will conduct a deployment readiness exercise in Hungary. The Contingents capability to deploy in a timely manner will be tested, as will its ability to be logistically self-sufficient for a thirty day period. DEFENCE FORCES CONTINGENT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION BATTLEGROUP 2024-2025 ARTICLE BY CAPT LIAM LUNDON Distinguished visitors day No.2 Pl during an interoperability exercise in Germany EUBG Mech Coy after a mechanised infantry exercise Lt McGirr, 3 Pl Cmdr observing his LSAS whilst on patrol Mowag Gunners loading their weapons before a shoot

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