Ireland is putting more eyes and ears on the water—and in the water—without dropping its neutral status. In its first-ever national maritime security strategy, Dublin says it will upgrade radar and undersea surveillance and work more closely with neighboring NATO states as it confronts what it calls rising "hybrid threats" in the North Atlantic, per Reuters. Those waters carry a dense cluster of undersea data cables and energy links, but Ireland has long been criticized for having scant capacity to monitor or defend them. The plan, essentially a five-year roadmap, "concentrates on securing the maritime domain from threats related to national security and defense," an executive summary reads, per Baird Maritime.
The plan singles out concerns over Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," which Western officials suspect could be used for spying or sabotage—allegations Moscow rejects. The strategy urges tighter ties with NATO members Britain and France and potential participation in activities with the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force, moves the document calls "vitally important" but politically sensitive in a country attached to military neutrality. Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended the pivot by warning that a serious hit to gas pipelines from Britain could cripple the economy in days. Ireland, which spent just 0.2% of GDP on defense last year, will also explore space-based tech, data sharing with EU partners, and tools like uncrewed vessels and maritime drones, though it has not committed to approaching average EU defense spending.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
