A Forgotten Few

A Forgotten Few – we often overlook that to the West of the United Kingdom there is another Naval Force operating.   Recently the Irish Naval Service vessels L.É EITHNE and L.É NIAMH have conducted exercises off the South Coast of Ireland, as part of a week long fleet assessment.     Some of the tasks involved included a scenario-based Maritime Interdiction Operation, which prepares armed Naval Teams for counter-narcotics and armed boardings at sea plus a casualty winching exercises with the Irish Air Corps’ AW139 helicopter.    In the last six years the Irish Naval Service has intercepted € .7 billion (Euro) worth of drugs in Irish waters.    On fishery protection duties, the Irish Naval Service has carried out 474 boardings and 5 detentions so far this year.