An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1530876
| 25 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE This is in addition to basic pay, naval pay and military service allowance (MSA), which for a newly enlisted able seaman, amounts to €41,418 on completion of training, bringing potential annual earnings to €61,983. Also, the naval personnel tax credit (€1,500) was included in the Finance Bill for 2024 and is guaranteed for the next five (5) years. An area identified as important for the retention & recruitment of personnel is the development & upgrading of the Naval Base and its facilities. A lot of progress was made in this area during 2024 with major projects such as the refurbishment of Block 4 (74 Bed Accommodation) and Block 9 (New Naval Headquarters) commenced. Design teams were assigned for a new gym complex and the refurbishment of the Cadets Mess & adjacent buildings (Officer Accommodation). It is envisaged that a design team will be assigned by years end to progress the remediation of the old ISPAT site. The level of investment in the Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) for the Naval Base can truly be understood when one notes that this represents 38% of the entire Defence Forces' expenditure on the IDP. EUROPEAN SEMINAR FOR YOUNG OFFICERS 2024 The Naval Service had the pleasure of hosting the European Seminar for Young Officers 11th-14th June 2024. Young Officers from 21 different European Nations came to Haulbowline with the aim to promote understanding between Navies, examine issues of common and mutual interest and to increase awareness of the Maritime Domain. The central theme was "Naval Implementation of Emergent & Disruptive Technologies". Presentations on relevant subjects were delivered by NS Officers, namely Maritime Security and Defence – AI and the Maritime Domain (Lt Cdr Brunicardi), Challenges to Harnessing Emerging and Disruptive Technology in the Naval Domain (Lt (NS) Buwalda) and Maritime Big Data Analytics (Lt (NS) Buwalda). The group, via syndicate work, had to prepare a brief on each topic, answering questions put to them by the presenters and group as a whole. The co-ordination of this event was led by the Naval Service but would not have been possible without support and logistical assistance from 1 Bde. The event received extremely positive feedback & served to strengthen international ties for the Irish Naval Service in the Maritime domain. NAVAL OPERATIONS Throughout 2024 the NS, under the auspices of the Naval Operations Command Centre (NOCC), has sought to increase Maritime Domain Awareness by acquiring access to new standalone Maritime Situational Awareness tools as well as cooperating with NS CIS to augment existing positional feeds into Sitaware to provide a more informed Recognised Maritime Picture. Utilisation of the resultant information advantage allows the NOCC to focus assets afloat where and when they are required to effect any developing situations within the Irish EEZ and its peripheries. So far this year, the NS has achieved a total of 364 patrol days, of which 109 patrol days were spent on OP TUBA operations monitoring Ireland's critical sub-sea infrastructure. During the conduct of Maritime Defence & Security Operations (MDSO), the NS has completed 65 Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) radio hails of encountered vessels. Additionally in Fisheries Protection, 109 fisheries boardings & 79 days of Joint Deployment Patrols (JDP) have been achieved. FORST (Fleet Operations, Readiness, Standards & Training) has conducted a total of 3 fleet evaluations. On the 20th September 2024, LÉ JAMES JOYCE took part in a PASSEX or Passing Exercise with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). PASSEX routinely happens between the Irish Navy & Foreign Navies. PASSEX allows for opportunities to exercise in various aspects of Naval Operations, confirm interoperability & sharing of Knowledge. "The opportunity for NATO to exercise with the Irish Armed Forces at sea allowed for sharing of knowledge and enhanced development, which is beneficial for all, and is most welcomed", said Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, Cmdre. Bo Overgaard. NAVAL COLLEGE 2024 has been a busy year cumulatively for the Naval College. In the Officer Training School, 2 Officers were commissioned,13 Cadets were inducted, 3 Officers completed their Naval Watchkeeping and 3 Senior cadets commenced their Level 8 in Nautical Science. The Technical Training School saw 15 students conferred with MTU and 10 with SOLAS, a total of 27 career courses were delivered with a total 184 students receiving tuition and the commencement of building a full P60 Class Engine Room Simulator which will be delivered in 2025. The Line Training School (LTS) has continued to facilitate and train current service personnel in leadership and management, and have inducted over 80 General Service Recruits, in concert with the JITC Gormanston Camp. The LTS also continues to facilitate Branch Training (Seamanship, Communications and Logistics) to prepare our future service personnel for life in the Fleet. In addition, the LTS, via the Seamanship School, has remapped the training required to prepare personnel of all ranks to operate ships RHIBS safely and efficiently at sea and in harbour. This new syllabus of training aims to provide the best possible standard of training to our personnel that meets international standards and best practice. On the 4th October 2024, the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), a strategic partnership between Munster Technical University (MTU) & the Irish Navy, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Established in 2004, the NMCI has evolved into a leading institution in the field of maritime education, training, and research. Over the past two decades, NMCI has been a key enabler & centre of excellence, empowering Ireland's maritime potential on the global stage. Our partnership with NMCI & MTU has become the cornerstone of training & education for the Irish Navy, ensuring world-class skills & expertise across all ranks. It is estimated that over 13,000 Naval Service personnel rotated through a multitude of courses over the last 20 years in NMCI. Together, we are building a stronger, more innovative future for Ireland's maritime industry. This future will feature a 9 million Euro investment committed to Simulator upgrades which will greatly assist the training of our young officers moving forward. Additionally, a Naval Service Funded Maritime Cyber Exercise was run on the 25th October with the aim of reducing NS cyber vulnerabilities. Building on the success of this exercise it is intended that it will be run on an annual basis from now on.