politics
British Warship Drafted in to Defend Ireland
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TL;DR
- A British warship will provide air defence for an EU meeting in Ireland.
- Irish constitutional law requires British warships to stay 14 miles from shore.
- Foreign ships cannot fire over Irish territory according to legal advice.
- An Irish liaison officer will be placed on the British ship to authorise its weaponry.
- This arrangement is to navigate rules of engagement which state only Irish officers can authorise force.
- Ireland, a neutral country, is not part of NATO and has previously relied on foreign warships for defence.
- Ireland's defence spending is increasing but remains low as a percentage of GDP.
- A similar situation occurred in July with a French frigate during an EU meeting.