The Irish Defence Forces recently deployed a specialized observation aircraft on two occasions to an area of the Atlantic south of Cork, where Russian naval vessels, including one outfitted with advanced hypersonic missiles, were reportedly navigating.
It is also believed that assets from the Irish Naval Service participated in the monitoring efforts.
Flight tracking systems indicated that a C295 Irish Air Corps aircraft flew over the region south of Ireland on both Monday and Tuesday.
On Sunday, three Russian ships, spearheaded by the warship Admiral Golovko, traversed the English Channel and proceeded towards the Atlantic.
The other two Russian vessels included a refueling tanker and the research ship Yantar, which has a crew of 60.
The Yantar is recognized as a Russian intelligence vessel and has been noted in recent years by Western military forces for loitering near undersea cable routes.
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According to reports from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. foreign policy think tank, the Yantar is equipped with submersibles capable of cutting or tapping into undersea cables.
Upon their departure from the base, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that the “main task of the mission” was to “display the flag and ensure naval presence in operationally important areas of the offshore maritime zone.”
It is understood that as the vessels navigated the English Channel towards the Atlantic, they were monitored as part of a coordinated operation involving British, French, and U.S. aircraft and ships, along with Irish military planes and naval vessels as they moved south of Ireland.
Timeline of operation
Just after 3am on Sunday, while positioned south of Cornwall, the Yantar deactivated its transponder, rendering it invisible on non-military vessel tracking systems.
While the Russian vessels had their transponders turned off for some time, it is believed they did not enter the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ)—the maritime area over which Ireland holds resource rights—before proceeding into the Atlantic.
At 1:08pm on Monday, the Irish Defence Forces’ C295 aircraft departed from the Casement military airfield at Baldonnell, west of Dublin. It arrived in an area approximately 250 kilometers south of the Cork coast by 2:20pm.
The plane remained undetected by flight tracking systems for just over an hour before reappearing and later returning to its base.
On the following day, it followed a similar route.
The area surveilled by the C295 is home to nine underwater cables that transmit telecommunications data between the United States, Africa, and Europe.
Defence Forces C295
The C295 is one of two aircraft utilized by the Defence Forces to conduct covert and overt missions, in addition to search and rescue operations.
Equipped with advanced sensors and communications technology, it can track boats and ships from a distance, including systems capable of discerning details as minuscule as car registration plates from an altitude of 15,000 feet.
When asked about the C295’s movements, the Defence Forces stated that the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps “conduct 24/7 monitoring of vessels within the Irish EEZ. This surveillance enables timely detection and response to potential maritime situations.”
“The Defence Forces are committed to safeguarding Ireland’s maritime interests and ensuring the security of our waters and infrastructure through vigilant and ongoing surveillance operations. Any specific vessel movements or interactions are evaluated within the broader framework of routine maritime monitoring and adherence to international law.”
