| Naval Service | |
|---|---|
| An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh (Irish) | |
 Emblem of the Naval Service | |
| Founded | 1 September 1946[1] |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Defence of the state and protection of its maritime resources |
| Size | 719 active personnel(Establishment: 1,094) (Dec 2024)[2] 77reservists(Establishment: 200) (Apr 2023)[3] 8 ships (4 available for operations as of March 2025)[4] |
| Part of |  Irish Defence Forces |
| Naval base | Haulbowline,County Cork,Ireland |
| Colours |   |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| FOCNS | Commodore Mick Malone[5] |
| Supreme commander | PresidentMichael D. Higgins |
| Insignia | |
| Naval ensign |  |
| Naval jack |  |
TheNaval Service (Irish:An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of theDefence Forces ofIreland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces.[6] Its base is inHaulbowline, County Cork.
Though preceded by earlier maritime defence organisations, the Naval Service was formed in 1946.[7] Since the 1970s a major role of the Naval Service has been the provision of fisheries protection in Ireland'sexclusive economic zone (EEZ).[8][9][10][11][12] Other roles include sea patrol, surveillance, and smuggling prevention.[13] Occasionally the service undertakes longer missions in support of other elements of the Defence Forces, Irish peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, or humanitarian and trade missions.[13]
The Naval Service has an active establishment of 1,094 and a reserve establishment of 200. Like other components of the Defence Forces, the Naval Service has struggled to maintain strength and as of late 2024 had only 719 active personnel,[14] and 77 reserve personnel.[3]
Naval Service ships are designated with theship prefix ofLong Éireannach (Irish Ship), which is abbreviated to LÉ. Naval Service ships are traditionally named with (mainly female) names taken fromCeltic mythology andIrish folklore. However in 2014, the government controversially broke from tradition and decided to name the newP60 class ships after famous Irish writers.[15] In 2024, the traditional naming conventions was restored with the naming of the P70 class patrol vessels.[16]
TheAnglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which created theIrish Free State, stipulated that it was to be given responsibility to police its customs and fishing, while control of its seas remained with the United Kingdom and itsRoyal Navy, who also retained the "Treaty Ports" of Cork, Berehaven and Lough Swilly.[17][18]
During theIrish Civil War, several coastal landings were undertaken by theIrish National Army using commandeered civilian passenger ships such as theArvonia and theSS Lady Wicklow.[19][20] On 2 August 1922, theLady Wicklow, commanded by Captain Patrick Ryan, landed 450 troops under the infamousPaddy Daly atFenit, the port ofTralee.[21] On 8 August, theArvonia andLady Wicklow were used to land over 1,000 troops atYoughal andPassage West liberating Cork unopposed two days later.[22]
In May 1923, Major General Vize established the Coastal and Marine Service (CMS) with fourteen patrol vessels, each armed with a 12 pounder gun, and several other boats armed with machine guns. As the civil war concluded the same month, the vessels were soon disposed of, and the service was disbanded in March 1924.[18][20][23][24]
From 1924 to 1938, Ireland had very little interest in maritime affairs.[18] Its only ship was the unarmedMuirchú, which was operated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to patrol Irish fisheries. By the late 1930s, the Free State began to pay a little more notice and theMuirchú was re-armed in 1936. She was joined in 1938 by the newly built steam trawlerFort Rannoch.[25][26] Also in 1938, theAnglo-Irish Trade Agreement returned the Treaty Ports to Ireland, and the Royal Navy withdrew from Cork Harbour.[27]
On the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939, referred to asThe Emergency in Ireland, the government established the Marine and Coastwatching Service, later renamed the Marine Service in 1942.[18][28] That May the government had ordered twomotor torpedo boats (MTBs) fromVosper Thorneycroft. In order to present a more credible neutrality the government ordered an additional four boats later that year.[25][29][30]In June 1940, one of the MTBs was involved in a serious breach of Irish neutrality, when the crew who were in Southampton to collect the boat decided to assist in evacuating Allied soldiers during theDunkirk evacuation.[31]A naval reserve, theMaritime Inscription, was established with over 1,000 men in twelve companies to provide port security.[32] The closed Royal Navy base atHaulbowline in Cork harbour was re-opened in 1940 to serve as the base for the Service. By 1941, the Service had about 300 all ranks, with the six MTBs joined by theMuirchú,Fort Rannock, the minelayerShark, and sail training vesselIsaalt. During the Emergency, these ships served as Ireland's navy, regulating merchant ships, protecting fisheries, and laying mines in Cork and Waterford harbours.[33]
In September 1946, the Marine Service was incorporated into theIrish Defence Forces as the Naval Service.[18][25] The first formal training of Irish Naval Cadets took place at theBritannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK in 1947.[33][34] In June 1947, the Maritime Inscription was reorganised asAn Slua Muirí.[35] The government intended to purchase six corvettes for the fledgling navy, but ultimately only threeFlower-classcorvettes were purchased from the United Kingdom in 1946 and 1947.[36] The tradition of naming Irish Naval Ships after figures inCeltic mythology was started, and the ships were namedLÉ Macha,LÉ Maev, andLÉ Cliona. These three corvettes were Naval Service's only ships during the 1950s and 1960s with their main role being fishery protection. The corvettes were withdrawn from service between 1970-2 and scrapped soon afterwards.[37][38] In 1971, the Naval Service acquired threeTon-classminesweepers:LÉ Grainne,LÉ Banba andLÉ Fola.[38][39][40]
The 1970s was a time of expansion for the Naval Service as several locally built ships were added to the fleet. In 1971, the Naval Service commissioned Verolme Cork Dockyard to build an offshore patrol ship. NamedLÉ Deirdre, it was the first naval vessel purpose-built in Ireland to patrol its waters.[41][42]
Since independence, Ireland'sterritorial waters were limited to 3 nautical miles (5.6 km).[43]In 1964, her territorial waters were extended to 12 nautical miles (22 km) increasing her maritime area to 41,000 km2 (16,000 sq mi).[44][45]In 1976, Ireland'sexclusive economic zone was extended out to 200 nautical miles (370 km), increasing her maritime area to 450,000 km2 (170,000 sq mi).[46][47][48] The increased maritime area required additional patrol vessels, and Ireland was granted funding from theEuropean Economic Community to increase the Naval Service fleet.[33][49] Between 1977 to 1982 inclusive, Ireland received IR£31 million from the EEC to purchase ships and aircraft for fishery protection.[50]
LÉDeirdre was the prototype for three further offshore patrol vessels built by Verolme,[51][34] which wereLÉ Emer (1978),[52]LÉ Aoife (1979),[53] andLÉ Aisling (1980).[54]
In 1980, the government planned to acquire two helicopter carriers from Verolme.[55][56] However, due to design delays[57] the first ship was not ordered until April 1982 with delivery expected twenty four months later.[58]LÉ Eithne entered service in December 1984, and twoDauphin helicopters were acquired to operate with her.[59][60] In 1986, L.É.Eithne became the first Irish naval ship to cross the Atlantic. The closure of the Verolme dockyard in 1984 due to poor management and low worker productivity prevented the sister ship to Eithne being ordered.[61][62]
Meanwhile,Isolda was acquired in 1977 from theCommissioners of Irish Lights. RenamedLÉ Setanta (A15), she served as atraining ship until 1984.[63] A Danish stern trawlerHelen Basse was leased for a year in 1977 as theLÉ Ferdia (A16).[38] By the 1980s, the three minesweepers were showing their age and were withdrawn from service by 1987.[64] As replacements, in 1988 the government purchased twoPeacock-classpatrol vessels from theRoyal Navy's Hong Kong Squadron, which were renamedLÉ Orla andLÉ Ciara.[65] The 50th anniversary of the Irish Naval Service took place in 1996, which included a fleet review by PresidentMary Robinson.[66]
In the late 1990s, the government commissionedAppledore Shipbuilders to construct a new class of larger patrol vessels. In December 1999,LÉ Róisín was delivered to the Naval Service, followed in September 2001 byLÉ Niamh.[33][67] LÉDeirdre was decommissioned the same year.[68] On 1 October 2005,An Slua Muirí was reorganised into theNaval Service Reserve.[69]
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In 2010, Appledore was again commissioned to construct two new patrol vessels to VARD Marine's PV90 design.[70] The new ships were 12m longer than theRóisín class patrol vessels, allowing for a longer deck area to accommodateunmanned submersibles, adiving chamber, orUAVs.[71] In a very controversial decision, the government broke from tradition and decided to name the new ships after Irish writers.[15] The first,LÉ Samuel Beckett, was delivered in April 2014 replacing the decommissioned LÉEmer.[72][73][74]The second,LÉ James Joyce arrived in September 2015 to replace the decommissioned LÉAoife.[75][76]The option for a third,LÉ William Butler Yeats, was exercised in June 2014 and commissioned in October 2016 to replace the LÉAisling.[77][78][79]A fourth,LÉ George Bernard Shaw, was also ordered and entered service in October 2018.[80][81][82]
While Naval Service ships typically operate in Irish waters, they have provided resupply missions to Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon, Cyprus, the Balkans, Eritrea and Liberia.[18] In 2002, LÉNiamh travelled to the far east in a trade mission, visiting India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea, and Japan, resupplying Irish peacekeepers in Eritrea enroute. During the cruise, she became the first Irish naval ship to transit theSuez Canal and cross theEquator.[83] In 2006, LÉEithne travelled to Argentina to attend commemorations of Irish-bornAdmiral William Brown, founder of the Argentine Navy, in the first-ever deployment of an Irish naval ship to the southern hemisphere. She also visited ports in Uruguay and Brazil, and brought back a statue of Brown which is erected onSir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin.[84] In 2010, LÉNiamh travelled to Latin America attend bicentenary independence celebrations in a trade and diplomatic mission. During her trip she visited Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and the United States, and became the first Irish naval ship to transit the Straits of Magellan and the Panama Canal, and the first to sail in the Pacific Ocean.[85]
From 2015 to 2018, the Naval Service deployed a ship eleven times to the Mediterranean to provide humanitarian assistance because of theEuropean migrant crisis, firstly in a bilateral agreement with Italy underOperation Pontus,[86] and latterly with theEuropean Union'sOperation Sophia, rescuing over 18,000 illegal migrants.[87][88]Participation in Operation Sophia was controversial as it required approval by the so-called"triple lock" process.[89][90][91]The Naval Service's participation ended due to a shortage of operational ships as one third of fleet were in refit or maintenance, and there were insufficient numbers of technical and specialist personnel.[92][93]
In March 2022, the government announced the purchase of two retiredRNZN inshore patrol vessels.[94] The government statement also announced the withdrawal of the LÉOrla, LÉCiara and LÉEithne from service, which were later decommissioned in July.[95][96] The loss of LÉEithne represented a serious degradation in the service's operational capability given she was the only ship that was capable of operating a helicopter and had onboard sonar capabilities.[97][98]The two new inshore patrol vessels,LÉ Aoibhinn andLÉ Gobnait, were commissioned into service in September 2024.[99] Due to their small size, the two ships are intended to be used for fishery protection patrols in the Irish Sea, and based in an east coast base.[100]
The decommissioning of three ships did not resolve the growing "manpower crisis" in the Naval Service, as in January 2023 LÉRóisín and LÉNiamh, one third of the fleet, were placed into operational reserve.[101][102]Later that year, two additional ships, LÉJames Joyce and LÉGeorge Bernard Shaw, were also placed into reserve, leaving only two ships available for patrols.[103]In July 2024, the Naval Service operated a "three-ship operational posture", with the four P60 class vessels on patrol in operational rotation (two operational and one standby), while the two P50 vessels were under refit or in reserve.[104][105][106]In January 2025, due to only having one naval ordnance technician left, the LÉGeorge Bernard Shaw had to go to sea with its main armament, OTO Melara 76mm, non-functional.[107] The reduced operational capability of the Naval Service has meant that the number of patrol days has halved between 2020 and 2024 to 428 days.[108]
The Naval Service is headed by Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service (FOCNS) Commodore Michael Malone who is based at Naval Headquarters (NHQ) inNaval Base Haulbowline. NHQ oversees all aspects of the Naval Service, with a number of commands under it:Naval Operations Command (NOC) andNaval Support Command (NSC). TheNaval College, like theDFTC is of an equal footing with the two commands, with all three headed by an officer commanding who report directly to the FOCNS of NHQ. Commodore Malone is the first marine engineer to be appointed as FOCNS, his prior appointment was as Officer Commanding Naval Support Command (OCNSC).
Naval Operations Command is the principal command component of the Irish Naval Service responsible for all day-to-day activities of the service, both at sea and on shore. One of three major command components of the NS this command is responsible for overseeing the work and mission objectives of all Irish naval vessels at sea who report directly to Naval Operations Command at Naval Base Haulbowline. The command is a direct subordinate to NHQ and is overseen by Officer Commanding Naval Operations Command (OCNOC). The OCNOC reports directly to the head of the Irish Naval Service, the FOCNS.
Naval Support Command oversees the personnel, logistical and technical resources of the NS, allowing the service to meet its operational and training commitments. Ship procurement, maintenance, repair, provisions, ordnance, food, fuel, personnel and transportation are handled by Naval Support Command. Naval Support Command is headed by Officer Commanding Naval Support Command and reports directly to the FOCNS.
The Naval College is the principal naval military college in Ireland providing training to cadets, NCOs and recruits of the Irish Naval Service. The Naval College trains and educates personnel for service, providing a mixture of different courses ranging from officer training right through tonaval engineering. The Naval College is based out of the Naval Service's headquarters atNaval Base Haulbowline but also provides classes and lessons in non-military naval training at the nearbyNational Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) inRingaskiddy.[109]
The Naval College contains a number of schools providing specialist courses including the Officer Training School, the Military and Naval Operational Training School and the School of Naval Engineering. The Officer Commanding Naval College reports directly to the FOCNS.
TheNaval Service Reserve is the part-time, volunteer reserve force of the Naval Service, with an established strength of 200 personnel.[3] The Reserve provides port security and supplements the crews of Naval Service vessels.[69] Four new motor launches have been ordered for the NSR, which will be built by FM Marine Services. These will be the first naval vessels built in Ireland since the LÉEithne in 1984.[110] The first,Fionnghuala, was launched in December 2024.[111]
The Naval Service has a number of specialist units that handle unique and varied tasks within the service.
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The Naval Service Diving Section (NSDS) (Irish: Rannóg Tumadóireachta na Seirbháse Cabhlaigh), formally part of NOC's shore operations section, is a specialist unit of the Irish Naval Service, a branch of the Defence Forces, the military of Ireland. The Naval Service Diving Section specialises in underwater diving tasks for the Naval Service, and since its formation in 1964 has become Ireland's most advanced diving team, aiding other state agencies in various specialist roles.[112]
Various mission roles of the NSDS include search and recovery, underwater survey, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) underwater engineering and military diving training. They have conducted combat diving training forArmy Ranger Wing members after selecting combat diving as a speciality.[113]
The Naval Intelligence Cell, part of the NOC's Intelligence and Fisheries Section, is responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of naval intelligence and is the naval component of the Defence Forces'Directorate of Military Intelligence.[114]
The Fishery Monitoring Centre, part of the NOC's Intelligence and Fisheries Section, oversees the identification, monitoring and surveillance of fisheries vessels in Irish waters as part of theVessel Monitoring System. The Fishery Monitoring Centre coordinates with fisheries agencies in other countries.[115]
The Naval Service's military roles and the functions it carries out are more those of a coast guard rather than that of a conventional navy.[116] Lacking both anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities, and without standoff weapons such assurface-to-surface missiles, the Naval Service's ability to control Ireland's territorial waters and provide close naval support is extremely limited.[original research?] Sea lift is also limited and ad hoc.[citation needed] The Naval Service's non-military capabilities in aid to the civil power and other government departments is fishery protection, search and rescue, drugs interdiction and dive support.
As of September 2024, the Naval Service fleet included fouroffshore patrol vessels (OPVs), twolarge patrol vessels (LPVs), and twoinshorepatrol vessels (IPVs).[117][16][99]
Sorted by tonnage; See also:List of Irish state vessels#Irish Naval Service
| Class | Picture | Type | Ships | No. | Comm. | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrol vessels | |||||||
| Samuel Beckett class |  | Offshore patrol vessel (OPV) | LÉSamuel Beckett | P61 | 2014 | 2,256 tonnes | In service on a "three-ship [..] operational rotation" as of July 2024[104] |
| LÉJames Joyce | P62 | 2015 | |||||
| LÉWilliam Butler Yeats | P63 | 2016 | |||||
| LÉGeorge Bernard Shaw | P64 | 2019[118] | |||||
| Róisín class | .jpg) | Large patrol vessel (LPV) | LÉRóisín | P51 | 1999 | 1,500 tonnes | In reserve as of July 2024.[104] |
| LÉNiamh | P52 | 2001 | Under re-fit as of July 2024.[104] | ||||
| Lake class |  | Inshore patrol vessel (IPV) | LÉAoibhinn | P71 | 2024[119] | 340 tonnes | Undertaking "Maritime Defence and Security Operations" as of July 2024[120] |
| LÉGobnait | P72 | 2024[119] | |||||
| Motor launches | |||||||
| Cygnus Typhoon[121] | Motor launch | Fionnghuala | YP01 | 2024[111][122] | 30 tonnes | Used byNaval Service Reserve.[123] Three more on order.[110] | |
The Naval Service also operates smaller training vessels and rigid-hulled inflatable boats.
Air assets to support naval patrols are provided by theAir Corps with their twoAirbus C295 maritime patrol aircraft andAW139 helicopters operated fromCasement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, County Dublin.
In July 2015, the Irish Naval Service began using an Irish-basedsatellite communications system for its fleet, with new systems and equipment installed on all vessels. The Irish National Space Centre (NSC) at Elfordstown,Midleton, County Cork, andCounty Wicklow based company Voyager IP provided the contract.[124]
In 2010, the government ordered the first of fourSamuel Beckett class OPVs. These purchases were informed by a Whitepaper on Defence which expected acquisition of three new naval vessels over 10 years from 2015 to 2025.[125] As well as the acquired and ordered OPVs, the whitepaper covered a multi-role vessel (MRV) – which would be potentially enabled for helicopter operations and have a freight carrying capacity – to replace the flagship LÉEithne.[125]
In 2017, a delegation ofDepartment of Defence (DoD) officials and members of the Defence Forces visited New Zealand to inspect theRoyal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) multi-role vesselHMNZS Canterbury; it was suggested that a vessel of this type, capable of accommodating and deploying a full infantry company either bylanding craft or helicopter, and with a fully equipped hospital, was what the Defence Forces needed for the type of military and humanitarian missions undertaken by Ireland.[126] Plans expected that LÉCiara and LÉOrla be replaced with similar vessels,[125] but withcounter-mine andcounter-IED capabilities.[127] In August 2021, theIrish Examiner reported that the DoD was considering acquiring two former RNZNLake-class inshore patrol vessels. These vessels would be based on the east coast and operate mainly in theIrish Sea with the primary role of fisheries protection in light ofBrexit.[128]
On 14 March 2022, the DoD announced the acquisition of two such retired RNZN vessels,HMNZSRotoiti andHMNZSPukaki, for €26 million, to replace LÉOrla and LÉCiara and with the expectation that they would require less crew to operate.[94] Intended to enter service in 2024,[129] the two vessels arrived in Ireland in May 2023.[130] On 5 April 2024, the DoD announced that the new vessels would be named LÉAoibhinn and LÉGobnait.[16][131] On 4 September 2024, the two vessels were commissioned into service.[99]
The following vessels have served in the service's fleet:[132]
| Name | Origin | Type | Caliber | Photo | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | ||||||
| Heckler & Koch USP |  Germany | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | _modified.png) | Standard service pistol[133] | |
| Assault rifle | ||||||
| Steyr AUG |  Austria | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm |  | Standardservice rifle since 1989 | |
| Battle rifle | ||||||
| FN FAL |  Belgium | Battle rifle | 7.62×51mm |  | Only used forline throwing | |
| Machine gun | ||||||
| FN MAG | Belgium | Machine gun | 7.62×51mm | .jpg) | Fitted onboard Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence. Can also be mounted onRHIBs | |
| M2 Browning .50 heavy machine gun (HMG) |  United States | Machine gun | 12.7×99mm (.50) |  | Fitted onboard Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence | |
| Autocannon | ||||||
| Rheinmetall Rh 202 | Germany | Autocannon | 20×139mm |  | Fitted onboard all Naval Service ships for close range weapons support and anti-air point defence | |
| Naval gun | ||||||
| OTO Melara 76 mm |  Italy | Autocannon | 76×900mmR |  | Main weapon mounted onboardLÉ Róisín,LÉ Niamh,LÉ Samuel Beckett,LÉ James Joyce,LÉ William Butler Yeats andLÉ George Bernard Shaw | |
As of April 2023, there were 764 personnel in the Naval Service, and 77 in theNaval Service Reserve.[3] The Naval Service is headed by a general officer commanding (GOC) known as the "flag officer commanding the naval service" (FOCNS), who holds the rank ofcommodore.[134] Non-military training takes place alongside Mercantile Marine personnel at theNational Maritime College of Ireland inRingaskiddy, near to the Haulbowline base.[135]
| Equivalent NATO code | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Irish | Leas-Aimiréal | Seachaimiréal | Ceannasóir | Captaen | Ceannasaí | Leifteanant-Cheannasaí | Leifteanant | Fo-Leifteanant | Meirgire | Dalta |
| English | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Commodore | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Sub lieutenant | Ensign | Officer cadet |
| Equivalent NATO code | OR-9 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland |  Executive |  Administrative |  Engineering |  Communications |
| Irish | Oifigeach Barántais | |||
| English | Warrant officer | |||
| Equivalent NATO code | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia |
| Irish | Ard-Mhion-Oifigeach Sinsearach | Ard-Mhion-Oifigeach | Mion-Oifigeach Sinsearach | Mion-Oifigeach | Mairnéalach Ceannais | Mairnéalach Inniúil | Mairnéalach | Earcach |
| English | Senior chief petty officer | Chief petty officer | Senior petty officer | Petty officer | Leading seaman | Able seaman | Ordinary seaman | Recruit |
Naval Service strength fell from 902 in 2020 to 725 in 2023 and to 719 in 2024
The established strength and current strength of the Defence Forces as at 30 April 2023 is [..] Army 7,520 .. 6,322 [..] Air Corps 886 .. 711 [..] Naval Service 1,094 .. 764 [..] Army Reserve 3,869 .. 1,382 [..] Naval Service Reserve 200 .. 77 [..] First Line Reserve N/A .. 275
The Naval Service currently has a fleet of eight Commissioned vessels. Four of the vessels are available for operations including the three P60 class vessels which conduct patrols on a rotation basis. In addition, the L.É. Aoibhinn (P70) is also deployed on Maritime Defence and Security Operations
(1999–2001) "Fishery Protection played an important role in the Service's day-to-day operations" (2002–present) ".. addition to the Naval Service's increasing fishery protection output ..
The [newest fleet addition] will be used mainly for fishery protection patrols
At the end of 2024, the naval service had a strength of 719, compared to 902 in 2020
The [motor torpedo boat] crew made two trips across the English Channel, rescuing French and British soldiers
The Naval Service is currently adopting a three-ship operational posture, which sees the four P60 class vessels on patrol in operational rotation [..] In addition [..] the LÉ Róisín is currently in operational reserve while the LÉ Niamh is in the process of completing a mid-life extension programme, after which she will enter operational reserve
The current fleet comprises four (4) Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) and two (2) Large Patrol Vessels (LPV) [..] The fleet will soon be augmented with two (2) Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV)
| Organisation | | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active fleet | |||||||
| Decommissioned vessels | |||||||
| Specialised units | |||||||
| Shore establishments | |||||||
| Related | |||||||
| |
