In 2025 the Irish Defence Forces will provide the Mechanised Force Protection Company for the EUROCORPS multinational headquarters, reports Carl Schulze.
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The main task of the, tailored to mission, Mechanised Force Protection Company is to provide 24/7 security assistance to the EUROCORPS Force Headquarters (FHQ) which is usually situated within the Main Operating Base (MOB). As part of its mission the company: operates the MOB gates; conducts mounted and dismounted perimeter patrols inside the MOB; defends the FHQ from preselected defensive positions in case of an attack; and conducts reconnaissance and surveillance patrols in the area around the MOB. In addition to all this the company also maintains a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) that can respond to any fast developing threat in its area of responsibility (AoR).
[© Carl Schulze]
Like the EUROCORPS FHQ and the rest of the EUBG 2025 the Mechanised Force Protection Company is able to deploy within the European Union’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) concept reaction times. As such it can deploy anywhere within a radius of 6000km around Brussels within five to ten days after being activated. This deployment can be performed by land, sea or air, or a combination of these means. Once deployed the company can conduct sustained operations for a period of 120 days.
In order to allow the company and IRCON (i.e. the Irish Contingent) to reach the required deployment times in 2025 its vehicles, heavy equipment and logistics were forward deployed by October 2024 to a logistic hub, run by the German Armed Forces, in the vicinity of Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The German base also hosts a team of Irish Defence Forces logisticians that will oversee the equipment throughout 2025 and manage its distribution in the case of any deployment, may that be for exercise or for real.
The structure of the Mechanised Force Protection Company is that of a standard mechanised infantry company of the Irish Army. As such the company features a Company Headquarters, three Mechanised Infantry Platoons and one Weapons Platoon.
Infantry Weapons: As part of the IRCON Stand-Up Phase soldiers of the contingent were issued with some new kit that is about to enter Irish Army service at greater scale in the coming years. Already issued to the IRCON troops are new laser light modules for their assault rifles, state of the art tactical radios and upgraded ballistic plate carriers. But there is more to come, for example new night vision equipment and new designated marksman rifles.
As standard rifle the infantry soldiers of the MFPC carry the 5.56x45mm Steyr AUG Mod 14 assault rifle, fitted with a Trijicon 4×32 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) and a Rheinmetall AG VarioRay Laser Light Module (LLM). Within each infantry section the rifles of two soldiers are fitted with Diemaco 40x46mm M203A1 under-barrel grenade launcher. Also available at section level is the 7.62x51mm Fabrique Nationale MAK General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). The Heckler & Koch 9×19 Universal Self-loading Pistol (USP) is available as a backup weapon.
For anti-armour purposes the soldiers of the MFPC can field the low recoil shoulder-launched Saab 84mm Carl-Gustaf Anti-Armour Weapon, together with assortment of different munitions. On top of this the MFPC Weapons Platoon is equipped with the fire-and-forget Lockheed Martin Corporation Javelin Medium Anti-Armour Weapon System that consists of the Command Launch unit (CLU) and the missile. It can be employed to destroy enemy armour in the direct attack or top attack mode at a range of 2,200 metres.
Piranha IIIH: Protected mobility for the company is provided in form of several General Dynamics European Land Systems (formerly MOWAG) Piranha IIIH 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APC).
These vehicles, with the exception of ambulance variants, are fitted with the Kongsberg Protector Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS), that utilises as main armament either a Fabrique Nationale 12.7x99mm M2 Heavy Machine Gun or a Heckler & Koch 40mm Grenade Machine Gun (GMG). As secondary armament the RCWS is fitted with a 7.62x51mm Fabrique Nationale MAK GPMG. The fully stabilised RCWS features a thermal imaging system with dual field of view, autofocus and e-zoom, a colour daylight camera, and an eye-safe laser rangefinder. Detached Line of Sight (DLOS) technology enables the gunner to keep his sight on target, independent of ballistic solutions for the weapon installed.
The Piranha IIIH is powered by a MTU 6V183 TE2 diesel engine that develops 400hp and is connected to a ZF 7 HP 600 seven-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle features a gross vehicle weight of 18.5 tons and can reach a top speed of 105 km/h. A height-adjustable hydro-pneumatic independent suspension for each wheel station allows on- and off-road use of the wheeled APC. It can climb gradients of 60%, traverse slopes of 30%, climb steps 600mm high, ford water obstacles 1.5m deep and cross trenches up to 2m wide.
The basic crew of the vehicle consists of the driver, gunner and vehicle commander. In its rear fighting compartment it offers space for up to nine dismounts. The troops are seated along the side walls of the hull. The armour of the Piranha IIIH protects its crew against small arms fire, artillery shell splinters and mine strikes. In order to increase the vehicles protection level, it can be fitted with a stand-off armour package.
Well Prepared: Ireland’s engagement in EUBG 25 illustrates the country’s commitment to the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and follows the countries long-standing commitment to global peace, security and stability. The Mechanised Force Protection Company of IRCON is well equipped and prepared for its task to provide security for the Force Headquarters (FHQ) of the European Battle Group 2025 (EUBG 2025) provided by the EUROCORPS under the European Union’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC).
[images © Carl Schulze]
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