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No Role for the Air Corps says Minister for Defence in SAR
Would that mean they are going to appoint an Inspector General, as legislated for in the Defence Act?
Has the DF ever had one appointed since the Defence Act was passed?
I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the Defence Act but it will involve the establishment of a new cell in DFHQ will will operate independently and report directly to COS.
It can only be a good thing.
Not sure if there is anything comparable in other militaries, I'm sure there are.
I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the Defence Act but it will involve the establishment of a new cell in DFHQ will will operate independently and report directly to COS.
It can only be a good thing.
Not sure if there is anything comparable in other militaries, I'm sure there are.
It was the year of fire...the year of destruction...the year we took back what was ours.
It was the year of rebirth...the year of great sadness...the year of pain...and the year of joy.
It was a new age...It was the end of history.
It was the year everything changed.
Chris @Crickie2 I honestly believe you are compromising yourself, #EUCAPSOM & may be damaging Tender process for #SAR in Ireland. I have asked you before to consider your actions carefully. You are not just any voice you are the Director of the Irish Coast Guard Service #SISAR
The role of the Air Corps in Search and Rescue operations could increase as its capacity is expanded over the coming years, Simon Coveney has said.
The defence minister said that the Air Corps did not have the capacity to take over the entire SAR contract but that they should take greater responsibility for the service, while defence recruitment issues are addressed. Mr Coveney said: “There is, in my view, a conversation to be hard around whether a portion of this contract could be taken up by the Air Corps, and an increasing portion of it in the years ahead as we look to build capacity.”
He told the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) in Signal magazine: “I certainly don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be developing and investing in training capacity and equipment for the Air Corps, that could allow us to perform roles as part of the future design of the search and rescue contract in the future.”
Mr Coveney said: “There is, in my view, a conversation to be hard around whether a portion of this contract could be taken up by the Air Corps, and an increasing portion of it in the years ahead as we look to build capacity.
At present CHC Ireland DAC, a civilian helicopter operator, holds the Department of Transport SAR contract for the helicopter fleet and service. It operates a fleet of Sikorsky S-92 helicopters from Shannon, Sligo, Dublin and Waterford. Its contract is up in 2023, and a tender for a new ten-year contract, expected to be for €50-60 million a year, is likely to be published this month.
In October Mr Coveney said that the Air Corps had been ruled out as a possible provider for the search and rescue contract for a “variety of reasons” but notably the “risks to the state” and questions around “potential affordability and deliverability”. In Signal he said: “I think it’s unlikely that the Air Corps will be able to take over this entire contract and I think there would be very few people who would suggest that we would have the capacity to do that in the time available.
“I’d like us to do as much as we can in terms of building defence capacity through the Air Corps to perform a role here.”
He added: “Let’s make sure that we get this right in terms of the service we’re actually delivering, first and foremost, to the people who rely on that service, often to save lives. But as I say I see no reason why we can’t be a lot more ambitious than we’ve been in the past in terms of how we deliver it.”
Mr Coveney said that the Commission on the Future of Defence Forces, which is expected to deliver a report to the government by the end of November next year, would make recommendations on issues such as pay, allowances and structures for governance, to help to tackle recruitment and retention issues in the sector, which would help to increase the presence of the defence forces abroad. “I think we are going to see, through the UN, an increasing number of asks coming from the continent of Africa around peacekeeping and peace support and around post-conflict management missions,” he said. “I would like us to have the capacity to be able to look on some of those new asks, as they emerge, favourably.”
At present there are Irish forces in Mali, Congo, Western Sahara, Kosovo and Lebanon.
Mr Coveney said he was hoping for an extra 1,000 recruits over the next few years.
The role of the Air Corps in Search and Rescue operations could increase as its capacity is expanded over the coming years, Simon Coveney has said.The defence
not a hope they'll win the contract if the Super Puma is anywhere near it, it's reputation in the UK is dirt.
This does pose an interesting question in relation to trying to use a mixed light/medium lift fleet to save costs at the loss of capability though,
particularly in relation to the upcoming Irish SAR contract-will the gov try and go for lighter utility aircraft for Dub/Waterford and risk being caught wanting for a medium chopper at times?
Last edited by warthog; 8 April 2021, 10:48.
Reason: typo
It was the year of fire...the year of destruction...the year we took back what was ours.
It was the year of rebirth...the year of great sadness...the year of pain...and the year of joy.
It was a new age...It was the end of history.
It was the year everything changed.
Genuinely, how long would it take to ramp up from scratch to a competent SAR outfit? Generate manpower, airframes, stores, training, infrastructure,etc,etc from a clean sheet, when the organisational memory of actual SAR is gone? I'd reckon a minimum of 2 years and that's assuming everything goes well. That's in the face of a military bureaucracy and the DoD mentality. With the best will in the world, it'd be an uphill struggle from the off, at a time when the DF is facing plenty of other struggles to do their duty as the State requires. I'd bet you anything that the Military hierarchy and the DoD hierarchy would regard an AC punt at SAR as an expensive,unwanted solo run.
Genuinely, how long would it take to ramp up from scratch to a competent SAR outfit? Generate manpower, airframes, stores, training, infrastructure,etc,etc from a clean sheet, when the organisational memory of actual SAR is gone? I'd reckon a minimum of 2 years and that's assuming everything goes well. That's in the face of a military bureaucracy and the DoD mentality. With the best will in the world, it'd be an uphill struggle from the off, at a time when the DF is facing plenty of other struggles to do their duty as the State requires. I'd bet you anything that the Military hierarchy and the DoD hierarchy would regard an AC punt at SAR as an expensive,unwanted solo run.
IMHO would be better off ensuring that they have the personnel etc to allow a 24/7/365 response for top cover with the grand new CASAs which are already on the way (top cover being part of this contract too)
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