The Defence Forces will soon join a European military intelligence-sharing network, enhancing Ireland’s maritime security capabilities amid increasing concerns about Russian naval activity in Irish waters.
Tánaiste and Defence Minister Simon Harris has granted approval for Ireland to officially participate in the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), a European Union initiative that enables the exchange of both classified and unclassified maritime information between military and civil agencies across member states.
According to The Journal, the announcement comes just days after a Russian spy ship, the Viktor Leonov, was detected passing through the Atlantic off the Irish coast. This incident represents the latest in a pattern of suspicious Russian naval activity near subsea cables in Irish territorial waters, raising significant security and intelligence concerns.
“Ireland will now be in a stronger position in terms of information and intelligence sharing when it comes to our maritime environment,” Harris stated. “I very much believe that European Security is best served by working together and that very much goes to the heart of what this initiative is about.”
The Defence Forces’ participation in CISE will be coordinated from the Naval Operations Centre in Haulbowline, County Cork, which will be designated as a central “node” within the network. The alliance includes maritime authorities from several EU nations including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Finland, and Portugal.
CISE, which became fully operational at the end of last year after 15 years of development, aims to improve the efficiency and coordination of surveillance operations across various maritime functions including defence, customs, border control, and environmental protection.
Harris also revealed that he has directed Department of Defence officials to expedite the procurement of radar and sonar technology to “better protect our skies and underwater cables.” This comes as the vulnerability of Irish subsea infrastructure has emerged as a critical security concern, particularly given that most transatlantic data traffic flows through Irish waters.
The initiative forms a key component of Ireland’s forthcoming first national maritime security strategy, currently under development.