British warship and ‘sub hunter’ helicopter deployed for EU meeting in Ireland

A British warship and a helicopter designed to hunt submarines have been deployed off the coast of County Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland as part of a security operation surrounding the meeting of EU defence ministers in Druids Glen.

The Royal Navy ship and a submarine from Faslane were requested by the Irish authorities to provide air defence during the event, which forms part of Ireland’s EU presidency.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to join the meeting in Wicklow, where the war in Ukraine is likely to dominate the debate.

The Irish Defence Forces cannot conduct long-range air defence operations itself.

The use of a Royal Navy ship to provide security for Ireland during an EU event has drawn some criticism in the UK after it was first reported by The Irish Times last week.

Conservative MP John Cooper wrote to UK defence secretary Wes Streeting saying he was “aghast” at reports the ship must stay outside of Irish territorial limits.

“The insistence that foreign warships remain outside of Irish limits hampers their effectiveness. The Royal Navy is being asked to do a bad job. To add insult to injury, the British taxpayers are footing the bill for this bodge,” Cooper wrote in the letter, which he posted to social media.

He accused Ireland of “freeloading” by claiming neutrality while failing to invest in defence.

It did the same off the coast of County Cork the next day during a meeting of EU commissioners in the county. An Irish naval officer was stationed aboard the ship.

The Irish Government has so far declined to officially confirm requesting assistance from foreign forces during the presidency.

An Garda Síochána – the Irish Police – and the Irish Defence Forces have mounted significant security operations for the presidency. The military operation, known as Operation Fianna, is run by a joint task force based in McKee barracks in Dublin.

It co-ordinates ground, sea and air units, including anti-drone units stationed around major events.

On Monday, the Naval Service ship LÉ Samuel Beckett was deployed closer to the coast of County Wicklow while a C295 maritime patrol aircraft and various helicopters conducted air patrols.