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LAST UPDATE | 7 Nov 2025
CONCERNS ARE MOUNTING among Irish and European military and security leaders about Ireland’s ability to adequately resource security operations during the upcoming EU Presidency.
It comes amid heightened tensions across Europe in the wake of several incidents that saw drone swarms close airspace in several countries.
The drone incursions have been encroaching ever westwards over the last few months – most recently forcing the closure of Brussels Airport, after causing similar issues in Denmark in September.
There are now concerns that events around the EU Presidency, particularly a high level summit of leaders in Ireland next year, could be exposed due to a lack of Irish capability.
Ireland takes on the rotating presidency from July of next year.
By far the biggest official event of that period will be the European Political Community summit, which will see all leaders of the EU member states attending.
In the past major international figures have also attended the summit – upwards of 50 leaders could attend. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended this year’s event in Denmark.
US President George W Bush attended a similar summit held during Ireland’s presidency in 2004.
There’s been some suggestions the high-profile event could take place outside of Dublin with indications that Munster could play host to the summit.
Sources in Ireland and abroad have said that the EU drone activity is being assessed as part of a broader hybrid warfare campaign.
While it’s suspected Russia is behind the operations this has not been confirmed publicly but multiple police forces and intelligence agencies across Europe are now investigating.
Now Ireland’s lack of air policing capability, lack of air defence and a general inability to track such aircraft is causing significant concerns at the highest levels within security agencies across Europe.
Sources said that this week a delegation from a Baltic country raised concerns about security with Irish officials at a meeting in Dublin.
Security for the EU Presidency is being managed by a team in An Garda Síochána but it will involve multiple agencies and the more largescale and robust aspects will have to involve the Irish Defence Forces.
Such is the concern in Government that they are attempting to expedite a part of the much vaunted primary radar scheme in order to counter the drone threat.
However sources have expressed concern that even if the tech is purchased there is a lack of certainty that military operators will be sufficiently trained on the specialist radar detection kit.
It has also emerged that Irish Defence Forces personnel would have to travel to Scandinavia to test fire missile systems as Ireland does not have adequate military ranges.
The Irish Defence Forces have lost a key capability in recent months as a radar system, known as Giraffe, used to direct anti-aircraft missiles has been donated to Ukraine.
The lack of this capability has had a direct impact on the ability to detect and intercept incoming malicious drones and other aircraft.
In a private meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security yesterday An Garda Síochána, and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of Defence sought to assure TDs and Senators that they had the operation in hand.
The meeting was attended by Garda Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon as well as civilian officials from the DOD’s unit for Emergency, Operations, and Infrastructure Oversight and DFAT’s EU Presidency planning section.
It is understood nothing was revealed by defence officials or gardaí about their plans or strategies to address the capability shortcomings.
However a number of operational sources across the security sector said the assurances given to the committee ring hollow.
The shortcomings are particularly acute in air defence, they said.
We have discovered that there is a distinct lack of drone intercept capability and there are no military radars in Ireland capable of detecting drones save for a civilian system in Dublin Airport known as Dedrone.
There are significant concerns around the lack of air intercept capability to deal with, for example, a rogue aircraft.
While the threat has been assessed and a lethal attack is unlikely, it is not without precedent. During then Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland in May 2011 a light aircraft had to be intercepted by Irish Air Corps PC-9 aircraft.
On that occasion it was found to be a lost pilot who drifted into a no-fly zone but security assessments carried out have found that there is a threat both from drones and light aircraft.
“This is is not about a direct attack per se, the situation is that just having an aircraft in the wrong place or say a swarm of drones could cause significant difficulties as we’ve seen in Europe already,” one source said.
“Imagine the arrival of dignitaries like say Donald Trump, all it would take to disrupt and embarrass Ireland is a drone and he will fly onto somewhere else – it is not a secret among security and defence people across the globe that Ireland is bottom rung on the security ladder.”
There are other difficulties – the small fleet of PC-9s are not sufficient to intercept incoming aircraft and the Air Corps pilots, sources have said, need to receive updated training in air intercepts regardless.
Behind closed doors it has been mooted that there may be a need to find a European country to provide air patrols for Ireland.
There is a secret deal between Ireland and the UK in regard to overflights but sources have raised the issue of what happens should an air threat need to be shot down.
Another air defence source said: “Who issues the order and what happens if that pilot in the fighter is French or Danish or say even British?
“The command and control systems are also an issue given that such an order may have to be made by a senior Government minister, will there be time for the commander of the operation to ring the Chief of Staff who then rings the Minister for Defence or even the Taoiseach?”
It is understood that during past US presidential visits an American aircraft carrier and other assets were placed close to Ireland.
In the past Irish Army Air Defence Regiments also posted .50 calibre heavy machine guns at strategic locations to take down air threats during events.
Missiles could also be used to shoot down threats. However, the Irish missile capability is now diminished because the missiles used in air defence do not have a tracking capability as the aforementioned radar is now in Ukraine.
There are anti-aircraft artillery weapons but tracking systems are not available – as one source said, it would require a gunner to visually confirm the target using an ‘iron sight’ mounted at the top of a gun.
A key factor contributing to all of these problems, highlighted by one well-placed source as part of our reporting, is the 2011 decision by Government to reorganise the Defence Forces in a cost saving effort, leading to the military disbanding the dedicated Air Defence regiment.
At a European event recently a naval destroyer with air defence capability was deployed. However sources said Ireland’s neutral status may make that more difficult.
One key concern is the threat of drones potentially being launched from so-called Shadow fleet vessels off the Irish coast. Zelenskyy himself recently said that the illicit Russian vessels were being used for this purpose in their drone sorties across Europe.
Detection is also a problem for Ireland’s military vessels. The Irish navy does not have a ship with air defence radar. The only way such flights can be detected is with what military personnel call the ‘mark one eyeball’ – in other words a sailor on look out on deck.
The Irish Army Ranger Wing special forces are a positive for the Defence Forces but their role is specific to interventions and specialist military operations.
The good news, from a security perspective, is that gardaí have upskilled their national units. Particularly the Public Order Unit are now at a level comparable to other similar well resourced and trained police forces across Europe.
The Emergency Response Unit has also undergone a transformative equipment, tactical and training reorganisation.
It is understood that there has been a slight delay in the delivery of the new garda fixed-wing surveillance aircraft and helicopter but this is being looked at behind the scenes.
There is also an issue with regard to garda use of drones as they await legislative powers.
The situation, as preparations for the presidency continue, remains grave. As one exasperated security source put it: “The impression we have is the penny has not dropped and it is the normal Irish approach of ‘ah sure it’ll be grand’.”
We asked the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for statements – they referred us to An Garda Síochána.
A statement from the Irish Defence Forces on behalf of Chief of Staff Lt Gen Mulcahy said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann will support An Garda Síochana, the lead agency, with personnel and specialist skillsets where required.
“The Defence Forces will plan for a range of support options in line with Government taskings to support the EU Presidency. “
A statement from An Garda Síochána stated: “An Garda Síochána does not comment on specific details of National and International security.
“Since January 2024 An Garda Síochána has been preparing for the Policing and security requirements of Ireland hosting the EU Presidency. Those preparations have included visiting countries that recently held the Presidency to learn from their experiences.
Those preparations continue. An Garda Síochána does not comment on the specific capacity of any other organisation.”
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