Defence Forces Open Day 2018

Soldiers and armoured vehicles in the streets of Cork! Combat aircraft in the sky above the city! While this might sound like the result of the Rebel City trying, and failing, once again to declare its independence, this event, which took place just this last weekend, had a much less problematic reason. The annual Defence Forces Open Day had come to Cork for 201, with all three branches of the armed forces showcasing their skill and equipment in Cork’s Fitzgerald Park. This Open Day is in a different city in Ireland every year, and this time, it was Cork’s turn. Well, it was a Sunday, and I had nothing else planned, so I figured why not? The weather was great, after all.

No, there's no revolution happening in Cork. It's not a military coup, either. There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.

Getting there was easy as usual, thanks to Coke Zero Bikes, and upon arriving at the park, it turned out to be a smart move as well, as there was no parking anywhere near the entrance. Except for the Coke Zero Bikes station, that is.

When it comes to parking, it really doesn't get any more convenient than this! And yes, that is obviously a shot from my archives. Summers in Cork can be miserable, but I've never seen one that miserable!

The park was a hive of activity, with the Armed Forces band playing some really sweet tunes on the bandstand near the main entrance. Information tents were dotted all around the park, as were vehicles and other equipment, ranging from Mowag Pirahna armoured personnel carriers to Michael Collins‘ personal Rolls Royce Armoured Car. The usual refreshment and food vendors were also present, and mostly lined up at the rear of the park, near the river. The Armed Forces displays were more spread out, often taking advantage of the shade provided by many of the old trees in the park. Of course, it was the obvious military hardware that attracted the most attention. The queue to get into the sole Mowag Pirahna IIIH Cavalry Reconnaissance Vehicle almost resembled an infrantry column in its own right. The artillery piece, 120mm mortar, and RBS-70 surface to air missile were all very popular as well.

The Mowag Piranha IIIH is the backbone of the "armoured" components of the Irish Defence Forces. A total of 80 vehicles in six different configurations are in use, whith the Cavalry Corps. The vehicle on display in Cork is configured as an Cavalry Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), and armed with a .50 cal Browning heavy machine gun mounted in a Norwegian Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapons station. 

The South African BAE Systems RG "Outrider" Light Tactical Vehicle is a step down from the Piranha, but still far from a pushover. It's been designed to the specifications of the US Army's MRAP (Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected) program. As such, it features a v-shaped hull to redirect the blast of an exploding mine or IED out to the sides, rather than into the vehicle. In addition, it is resistant to shrapnel, rifle or light machine gun fire. The vehicle shown in Cork was also equipped with a dedicated senor/surveillance mast, however it can be fitted with the same Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapons Station as the Piranha.

I'll put a hand up and admit it right here. I did NOT expect to see this weapons system here in Cork. That's a Swedish built RBS-70, a short range laser-guided anti aircraft missile, kind of like the US RIM-92 Stinger. The Irish Defence Forces use the RBS 70 in combination with the Ericsson Giraffe air search radar, also built in Sweden, as a target designator, although each launcher can also operate independently. When deployed right, this system provides the Irish Defence Forces with a very capable low level air defence system. I had previously thought that the .50 cal heavy machine guns were as good as it gets with regards to air defence in this country.

Here come the big guns - literally! This is the L118 light field gun. It is a British designed 105mm howitzer, and the main artillery weapon of the Defence Forces. Combined with the Ruag 120mm heavy mortar (not pictured) these weapons form the backbone of the artillery corps. The artillery corps also operates a number of Aeronautics Defense Orbiter UAVs for fire spotting and target designation.

The same was true for the oldest vehicle on display, Sliabh na mBan, a Rolls Royce Armoured Car. It wasn’t just any armoured car though, being one of only two remaining such models in the world. Sliabh na mBan had been transferred to the Irish Free State together with 13 other armoured cars, and this particular car ended up being assigned to General Michael Collins, the commander of all armed forces of the Irish Free State during the war of independence. In fact, the car was part of his escort during the fateful ambush at Béal na mBláth on August 22nd, 1922, when General Collins was mortally wounded. Only some stalwart unofficial restoration efforts by the cavalry corps during the 1940s and 1950s prevented the vehicle from sharing the fate of so many of its comrades. It is now on display at the Armed Forces Museum at Curragh Camp, the main training facility of the Irish Defence Forces.

She sure is a beauty - Sliabh na Mban is quite possibly the most famous Rolls Royce Armoured Car in the world. Of course, it helps that it is also one of only two survivors. What doesn't come through in this picture is just how spartan the vehicle actually is on the inside.

Speaking of training, that was also prominently on display, courtesy of soldiers of the 1st Infantry Battalion, based out of Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick. They regularly demonstrated various small-formation tactics, including an anti-ambush drill that I almost found myself walking into. Let me tell you, a fully kitted out soldier running towards you, rifle at the ready really makes you re-evaluate a lot of your priorities in life. Seriously, though. The public rarely ever gets to see things like this, which makes events like the Open Day, and those demonstrations all the more important. Another, all the more chilling demonstration was a display of mine and IED clearing techniques. While I appreciate the tactical value of these devices, it is hard for me to think of any „conventional“ weapon that is more sinister than a mine. Also, the display of inert mines at that particular demonstration booth is as close as I ever want to get to one of those bastards.

One thing that stood out during the entire event was an almost total lack of a naval or Air Corps presence. Granted, Fitzgerald Park is way too far upstream for even the smalles vessels of the Irish Navy to make it there, still just displaying a single RHIB in its trailer seemed a bit lackluster to me. One of the Navy’s Peacock class patrol boats was on port over the weekend. Would a shuttle service between the park and the city docks have been too much to ask for? Especially since the Defence Forces have a fleet of coaches at their disposal.

This patrol boat, LÉ Ciara (P42) was moored in the city center during the weekend. Would a shuttle service really have been too much to ask for?

That excuse doesn’t work for the Air Corps. There are several spots throughout Fitzgerald Park where a helicopter can land, and having an AW-139, or even an EC-145 on display would have been a real showstopper. On that note, the Irish Defence Forces recently splashed out on a new fleet of tactical UAVs, going from 3 to 12 aircraft. It would have been great to see at least one of those systems on display. That being said, the Air Corps did end festivities with a bang, or rather a low-altitude flypast of three Pilatus PC-9 trainers.

There was also a lack of organisation on the ground. The vehicles and booths, while well spread out, did seem just „scattered“ about, without any apparent concept behind it. There was also not much in the way of signage or direction, meaning people often ended up wandering around the site while trying to find the next exhibit. I understand that the Defence Forces aren’t a show troupe, but events like Open Day are the best way for the force In general to present itself, so a bit more care would really not go amiss here.

That being said, it was still a great event. The soldiers, sailors, and airmen were all extremely helpful, professional, and friendly, as I've come to expect from members of the Defence Forces, and the event had a very relaxed, almost familial feel to it, which I guess is to be expected given the small size of both Ireland and the Defence Forces. What’s more, events like this Open Day are absolutely vital in any liberal democracy. In any such society, the armed forces must be open and accessible to the general population, in order to build trust and understanding for each side. This is all the more important in small countries like Ireland, and in countries with an all-volunteer army. Estrangement between the population and the armed forces is a recipe for disaster. On that note, wherever the next Defence Forces Open Day takes place, make sure you go there. It’s a great afternoon out, and the soldiers and airmen certainly deserve as much.