An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 17 custody, that pointed to this location.' We also spoke with one of the DS staff about the exercise, 'Their first objective is to clear the building of any boobytraps or devices, then they will carry out a systematic and complete search of the entire building.' 'Once they complete this ex- tensive search the exercise will end, the scene would then be handed over to the Garda Síochána.' The Team began to prepare how they would gain entrance to the building, this was done by a team member dressed in a ballistic suit setting up a rope and pully system that would open the main door, this would keep individuals safe from any boobytraps that might be rigged to the door. While this pully system was being put in place a new member of the team in the form of an Unmanned Ariel Sys- tem (UAS) was being prepared for deployment. The UAS is a newly acquired piece of hardware and this exercise marked its maiden flight in a search such as this. The ESSC Team Officer told us about the usefulness of the UAS in this situation, 'The UAS can be used to take a look in upper levels before we enter for any individuals or other dan- gers, it is also non-evasive and doesn't put any of our people in harm's way. It gives us a 360-degree appreciation of the area we are working in, by doing this it is a force multiplier and gives us better situational awareness which will increase our capabilities.' They added 'The skills of the operators will be tested in the area, with it being built up'. As soon as the pully system for the main door was all set, the UAS was put into the air and began scanning the build- ing. The UAS was being controlled by a two-person team, these were a Pilot and Camera operator. The pilot of the UAS told us that having separate controls allows the camera operator free to conduct the search, while the pilot never loses sight with the UAS. The camera operator told us, 'The area can be seen in real-time and information can be passed along quickly to those in the building.' The pilot told us 'the high buildings make it an interesting place to work', 'there are obstacles all around the area.' Once the ESSC Team had gained access into the building, they began their initial search for any boobytraps or other dangers. Inside the building the smell of damp emanating from the long since empty rooms was a mix of mould and corrosion. The centre stairwell of the building was very dark and made progress difficulty, with movement being slow and steady. The beam of torch light breaking the darkness of the stairwell was an eerie sight. It wasn't long before the team encountered a boobytrap, hidden on the dark stairwell. This was slowly and cautiously made safe. This initial search of the building for any boobytraps would take a number of hours giving the size of the building, marking doors and hallways as they went. The team members taking turns wearing the heavy suit and progressing through the building. Once this was complete, then the systematic rum- mage search would then be carried out. It is exercises like these that are vital for keeping the DF ESSC Teams trained and fully operational, they are designed to make the teams think and to challenge every aspect of their training. These exercises encompassed the most possible scenarios one might think of in the world today and will give the Teams areas to work and improve on, so they can be ready if and when the time arises.

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