Britain should “bolster” its military presence in Northern Ireland, according to a new report, amid concerns the north could be used as a “back door” by hostile states wanting to attack the UK.
Northern Ireland is the “key to addressing the UK’s security concerns”, the report by an influential think tank has said.
The report by the Police Exchange also accuses Dublin of “freeloading” on the defence capabilities of the UK and Nato.
It says it believes the Republic “displays sheer ambivalence towards its own security, and that of its partners” adding that the “inadequacy of the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps jeopardises the security of the western approaches to the British Isles”.
According to the report, which is backed by former UK defence secretaries Michael Fallon and George Robertson, the UK and Ireland are at risk from an “acute maritime menace” posed by Russia.
It says it believes Russia could potentially target the “undersea fibre-optic cables, pipelines and interconnectors, which underpin our critical digital and energy systems”.
The think tank warns that Russian intelligence ships and warships have been identified off the Irish coast and close to key transatlantic cables.
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“The growing Russian, Iranian and Chinese presence in the Republic poses a backdoor threat to the United Kingdom itself,” it states.
“European security is also vulnerable.”
China is regarded as a concern due to its rapid technological advancements and global influence.
It suggests that the UK should “bolster” its military presence in the north in a bid to stop it being used by hostile states as a way to attack Britain.
The report calls on the British government to increase its naval and air presence in Northern Ireland to deter a growing Russian threat off the Atlantic coast where vital undersea cables arrive in the British Isles.
The report suggests that “resurrecting the RAF and Royal Navy presence in Northern Ireland will bolster our forward presence for maritime patrol operations around our coastline, as well as into the GIUK Gap and beyond”.
It adds: “In light of Russian aggression, recent government strategic documents have flagged our stretched naval and air capabilities in the north.
“Northern Ireland can therefore strengthen our strategic options in the region, whilst alleviating the burden on other bases, such as HMNB Clyde and RAF Lossiemouth.
“Shifting the paradigm of British-Irish relations – by breaking the longstanding link between a British Northern Ireland military presence, and Ireland’s historically fraught past – will enable the UK to create the environment for an equitable and effective security relationship between the ROI and the UK.”
