An Cosantóir

14 | weren’t here they could be straight across that line. At the end of the day, fishing is money.’ The Spanish-built CASA CN 235 is excellently suited for this task and is used by several countries including the US, France and Spain, just to name a few. The turbo- propeller high-wing design allows it to operate at slow speeds and low altitudes, and its surveillance and sensor suite is the latest in 21st century technology. The Squadron is required to complete a minimum of 300 fishery patrols a year, 10% of which have to be at night, and occasionally the CASAs operate at distances up to 600kms from the west coast. However, at this range, the aircraft’s ability to operate for an extended period is considerably reduced. The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission is a quota agreement between the EU, the United States, Russia, Norway and Japan for waters beyond the EU’s EEZ. ‘Ireland is obliged to conduct 30 days of patrolling in these waters each year,’ Capt Moore told us, ‘and such operations are conducted in conjunction with the Naval Service. We also conduct joint deployment patrols, typically with the French, British and Spanish authorities, either in our waters or theirs.’ An Cosantóir June 2011 As the recent deployment to Libya proved, the CASA can be utilised for other tasks. Within three hours of the sanctioning of a Department of Foreign Affairs request to assist Irish citizens stranded in Libya, a CASA was modified to take passengers and was on its way to Malta. ‘We also have an army support capability,’ said Captain Curran, ‘and we can modify the aircraft for high-altitude parachuting by the ARW and we assisted in transporting ordnance from Kosovo, when our involvement with the mission concluded last year.’ The CASA and its crew also assist other agencies: air ambulance missions within Ireland, to the UK and Europe. These are conducted throughout the year, and the aircraft also regularly work with the Coast Guard in search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. ‘The SAR missions obviously aren’t planned,’ Capt Curran told us. ‘Typically, we are on patrol when we get a call for assistance. We can provide top cover and help guide the Coast Guard helicopter onto a person or vessel in distress and we also have the ability to drop life rafts from the aircraft.’ Back on our patrol, the crew still had 15 more targets to identify and register. The next target was a small fishing vessel 20kms away. The two SAROs have an

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