[BartSimpson]

The grapevine passed along some interesting information. The Irish are supposedly contemplating joining NATO and developing an actual military in the wake of some thirty or more Soviet...er...Russian incursions into Irish territorial waters and airspace in the past sixty days.

At least one Russian incursion actually overflew Dublin and the UK was asked to escort the Russians back out to international airspace. (On or about February 20th)

Seems the Irish are a bit tweaked about the Russians and they're somewhat embarrassed that the UK is having to defend them, thus the interest in NATO.

I'm not sure how they'd make the 2% GDP commitment for defense spending (about US$1.5 billion) but there it is.

Again, just chatter at this point and it sounds much like the same kinds of things coming out of Finland and Sweden lately.

------

On an idle thought I wonder what an Irish Air Force roundel would look like? Green, white, and orange in a circle or would they go with a green roundel with a harp in it?

[Thanos]

I believe that India already uses the green/white/orange roundel. The Irish insignia should be something impossible to mis-identify as being anything except Irish, like the Lucky Charms leprechaun chugging a bottle of whiskey.

[martin14]

With the Irish record for losing wars.... no thanks.

[BartSimpson]

martin14 martin14:

With the Irish record for losing wars.... no thanks.

The Irish win every single war they ever fight against each other.

[Tricks]

I'm surprised they're not already part of NATO. Can drinking contests be SOP at war games now?

[BartSimpson]

Tricks Tricks:

I'm surprised they're not already part of NATO. Can drinking contests be SOP at war games now?

So long as the gorillas from the SP stay the f*** out of the bars then it's a great idea!

[Zipperfish]

They were in ISAF (which was kind of the NATO-plus in Afghanistan). Just a few of them. As for drinking, I don't think the Irish hold a candle to the Eastern Europeans.

[ShepherdsDog]

It was all part of the partnership for Peace , which the Paddies joined in on in '99.

[Tricks]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

They were in ISAF (which was kind of the NATO-plus in Afghanistan). Just a few of them. As for drinking, I don't think the Irish hold a candle to the Eastern Europeans.

Well that's no fair, they don't have anything to do but drink their sorrows away in Eastern Europe!

[Jabberwalker]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

It was all part of the partnership for Peace , which the Paddies joined in on in '99.

Boy! THAT sure worked out dinnit?

Must have been like the "non-aligned" movement that totally evaporated when the Soviet Union collapsed.

[Jabberwalker]

Tricks Tricks:

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

They were in ISAF (which was kind of the NATO-plus in Afghanistan). Just a few of them. As for drinking, I don't think the Irish hold a candle to the Eastern Europeans.

Well that's no fair, they don't have anything to do but drink their sorrows away in Eastern Europe!

The idiots keep drinking up their fuel additives, more like.

[Hyack]

Having Ireland as a member of NATO makes a lot more sense to me than some other countries which are already members. North Atlantic Treaty Organization brings to my mind countries which have some sort of sea power, a coastal country not a land locked country nowhere close to any ocean or sea such as Luxembourg, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia to name a few.

[Jabberwalker]

It's true, that.

[Vamp018]

Ireland's Air Corps roundel.
http://www.military.ie/air-corps/

[Regina]

Vamp018 Vamp018:

Ireland's Air Corps roundel.
http://www.military.ie/air-corps/