An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 19 I n the port of Rabat in Morocco, it is a warm evening as shady dealings are completed. Suspect cargo is loaded onto an Irish ship, Voyager, which is due to depart shortly and head home after a long voyage. Little does the crew know that intel is being gathered and their ship is under surveillance. Naval Operations Command at Haul- bowline receives a phone call. A Maritime Operations and Analysis Centre-Narcotics' (MAOC-N) vessel of interest (VOI) has been found and indications are it is heading back to Ireland. As a result of this phone call, the fleet operations officer (FOO) contacts the other members of the joint task force (JTF), and it is agreed to initiate a maritime interdiction operation using Irish assets. The VOI departs Morocco and heads northwards to the port of Falmouth in the UK for short stopover of 12 hours, before travelling onwards to the west coast of England and Wales. Surveil- lance continues. Surface and air assets are deployed and a full estimation of the ship's movements are collected and shared among members of the JTF. This is the preamble to Exercise Neart, which is the annual maritime interdiction operations exercise carried out in real- time, over two days, in Irish waters. This year the Marine Institute's ship, Celtic Voy- ager, was used as the VOI. She had been outside Irish waters and this allowed the development of the above scenario as she returned home. As the VOI proceeds towards the Irish exclusive economic zone with its illegal cargo, little does it know on the morn- ing of the 30th May 2017, that LÉ Ciara is over the horizon, watching. LÉ Ciara uses her rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) to conduct covert surveillance, gathering as much on-scene information as possible as she shadows the VOI; exercising her tacti- cal skills and seamanship to ensure that she is not spotted. The collected information is passed to Naval Operations Command using tactical communication methods and the Recognised Maritime Picture (RMP). One of the Air Corps's maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is redirected to conduct a high-level flight to provide confirmation of the VOI. This tasking is carried out using the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) in DFHQ. Flying south, the MPA picks-up a target in the anticipated position of the VOI. From dis- tance, the MPA takes photographs, which are sent to Naval Ops for confirmation. The VOI is then positively identified as the Voyager; its position is confirmed and the next phase of the operation begins. On the morning of May 31st, Naval Op- erations Command provides further intel on Voyager and all assets are moved into position for final intercept. LÉ Ciara is still on- scene, shadowing the VOI while LÉ Samuel Beckett is redirected from routine operations. An Garda Síochana sends a detective sergeant from the National Organised Crime and Drugs Bureau to the Naval Base, where he is collected by a RHIB and brought aboard LÉ Samuel Beckett, which then heads for the location passed by LÉ Ciara. OC LÉ Samuel Beckett assumes the role of officer in tactical command (OTC) of the task group, which proceeds at best speed to the location of the VOI where, as per NS MIO SOPs, both elements of the task group close in. The task group visually confirms the VOI and initial questioning is carried out on VHF. LÉ Samuel Beckett, as lead ship, carries out the final interdiction operation using her ten-strong boarding team, which embarks the vessel, takes control of the crew and identifies the master. Once the crew is se- cure on deck, the boarding team carries out an initial inspection, locating packages of illegal narcotics. At this point the detective detains the skipper and crew. ENDEX This annual exercise uses the joint ap- proach of all arms of the Defence Forces and the Joint Task Force. The Naval Service has directly seized over €1.5 billion of illegal narcotics in the last ten years and has partici- pated in multiple operations in the ISTAR role under the Joint Task Force. LÉ Samuel Beckett moves in covering the boarding teams in the RHIBS. Naval Service personnel pictured with the €80 million haul of cocaine that was seized from the yacht Makayabella 400km off Mizen Head in 2014. Boarding teams preparing to move. Vessel of Interest FLIR cropped long range by CASA Maritime aircraft. The Naval Boarding Team (NBT) board the Vessel of Interest (VOI).

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