IRELAND HAS SIGNED a multi-million euro deal with French company Thales DMS for sonar for the Irish Naval Service which will be able to detect submerged submarines and help to protect subsea cables. 

The Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is Minister for Defence, signed the deal in recent days for what will be a towed sonar array. This will be a device which is dragged behind naval ships and monitors what is below the surface.

The Department of Defence has said the sonar, the first of its kind in Ireland, will be used for “monitoring and surveillance in the subsea domain, thus significantly enhancing maritime security”. It is anticipated that it will be operational in 2027.

The announcement comes just days after the public consultation for a Maritime Security Strategy was launched.

Harris said that the state-of-the-art sonar system will be key to monitoring activities around subsea internet and electricity interconnector cables as well as gas pipelines. 

“This significant investment in sonar capability will provide the Naval Service with a state-of-the-art sonar system, which will enable them to build a picture of our subsea, thus contributing to the important task of protecting our critical underwater infrastructure.

“This is one of many strands of work being progressed to address the threats in our maritime domain. It will serve as an important first step in creating a “pattern of life” in the subsea domain, with future projects further enhancing this capability,” he said. 

The Tánaiste said that it is part of the programme for Government commitment on the protection of critical undersea infrastructure and also a realisation of recommendations in the Commission on the Defence Forces report to enable the Irish military to monitor under the waves. 

The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy, also welcomed the signing of the deal.

“This capability will greatly enhance the Defence Forces’ situational awareness across domains and is a welcome advancement in the continued development and transformation of the Óglaigh na hÉireann,” he said. 

Tánaiste and Defence Simon Harris. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

It is understood that the information gathered by sonar project will feed into a European wide strategic information picture.

The Irish use of the data will also be used to detect illegal fishing, drug trafficking as well as espionage and terrorist activities. 

It has not been revealed what the exact type of sonar will be but sources have referenced the CAPTAS range offered by Thales. 

In February last year the French company supplied its top of the range system CAPTAS-4 to the US Navy. This system is on many naval ships across the world including British, French, Italian, Spanish and Chilean navies. 

Sources believe the most likely equipment for the Irish Naval Service will be the CAPTAS-1 system which is for use by smaller patrol ships. 

It is understood work is continuing of the procurement and assessment of companies for the proposed primary radar to monitor the air and sea around Ireland as well as a major project to equip Ireland with new armoured personnel carriers. 

The Department of Defence is taking the lead in the coordination and development of Ireland’s first National Maritime Security Strategy;

The Naval Service are observers on an EU co-operation PESCO project on Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection.

The Government also recently approved the Defence Forces’ participation in the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE). This is an EU initiative which enables structured and secure information-sharing among EU maritime authorities, both civil and military, allowing for more effective operations at sea amid new and evolving maritime threats.

Recently the Department of Defence worked with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and energy operators to stress test critical infrastructure in the energy sector in Ireland against man-made threats.

The results of these tests have been shared with the European Commission, as part of a cross-EU process.