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Allies Mobilize Aircraft in Search for Russian Submarine off Irish Coast Amid Sabotage Fears

Story by Isaac Jones

Maritime patrol aircraft from France, Norway and the UK have been carrying out extensive surveillance in the waters off Sligo and Donegal on the west coast of Ireland. The operation has been ongoing over the past week in response to suspected Russian submarine activity near gas pipelines and undersea cables.

According to a report from The Sunday Times. This deployment includes a French Bréguet 1150 Atlantic plane off the Clare coast and Boeing Poseidon P-8 aircraft from Britain and Norway monitoring areas off Sligo and Donegal. These aircraft, especially the Poseidon P-8, are known for their ability to track submarines.

Ireland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean and is at the heart of a vast network of submarine fiber optic cables that carry approximately 97% of the world’s communications and internet traffic. These cables are vital for global communications connecting Europe and North America. With more than 550 cables spanning 1.4 million kilometers, this infrastructure is vital to Ireland and the international community.

The suspicion towards Russian submarine activity has historical context; in August 2021, the Russian intelligence ship Yantar was spotted near Ireland, close to the submarine cable AEConnect-1 and the planned Celtic Norse submarine communications cable route. This pattern of Russian interest in the region’s undersea cables has raised concerns about potential acts of sabotage. European intelligence agencies believe Russia may be preparing sabotage activities in EU member states ahead of the European elections.

The current NATO surveillance operation is both a reaction to immediate threats and a proactive measure to ensure the security of critical infrastructure. Ireland, while lacking in maritime defense capabilities, has not been entirely absent from contributing to its defense. The nation has engaged in international military exercises, with Irish personnel recently participating as observers in NATO-supported naval activities off Portugal’s coast. These exercises have included the use of underwater drones.