Heavy British military presence off Irish coast!

There is a heavy British military presence off the coast of Ireland in response to a Russian ‘live-fire’ naval exercise being held south of the country.

You can see Typhoon jets, a Voyager tanker and P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft close to the Russian fleet. In addition, a British frigate is nearby.

In addition to Typhoon jets, P-8 Maritime Patrol aircraft and a Voyager tanker, HMS Argyll is involved in monitoring Russian vessels on their way to exercises outside of Irish waters.

Russia is holding ‘live-fire’ naval exercises between February 3rd-8th off the Irish coast. Originally, the exercises were to be held 240km (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland – in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone. The tweet below shows the original location.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney last week objected to the exercise:

“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine. The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”