The Irish Navy is Shrinking!

 Smaller Ships?

Ireland has not really got a navy as such, neither has it a army or an air force, but rather a combined defense forces, since it is a small country sharing a land border with the U.K.

In recent years it has greatly updated its equipment and so its fishery protection forces, having eight new vessels, but it has also a reduced recruitment in the last year, which has lead to two of its new patrol ships being sidelined and smaller converted tugs from New Zealand and home built vessels coming into service!

These vessels might be small, but they are still designed to have a punch in their operations and so they replace two for four plus types of the south-east and south-west of the nation.

Flying Boats Today! One.

Beriev, Canadair, and Dornier?

These are some of the main manufacturers of flying boats today around the world and it is Russia that is leading the way with its Beriev B200 firefighter and other variants. This aircraft was based on its former Soviet military version developed for maritime reconnaissance and it is not clear if it is still operational?

Other manufactures such as Canadian Canadair developed two smaller flying boats that have had some success in the firefighting role the CL-214/215. But in recent work in both the United States and Portugal aircraft and crews were lost in wild fires work!

The third builder is German Dornier, who having much experience has opted for a smaller pleasure model, but this still has other options with it in relation to patrol work? The Peoples Republic of China have now developed its own long-range four engine flying boat making it the largest in the world, currently this is believed to be only a military venture?

Both the U.S. Navy and Japan have also taken a fresh interest in revitalising their last designs with modern electronics and weapon systems for sea, and coastal patrols. We will look at these later on to see more about them!

Corvettes and Frigates.

Future?

Which navies around the world still operate Corvettes, and do they not all employ Frigates of varying sizes?  

Since the second world-war (1939-45) many navies have developed greatly with many advances in missile systems over guns and sonar. Meanwhile there has also been many new advances in the gathering of electronic intelligence and systems for counter attack.

What is the differences between a Frigate and a Corvette?
Has it more to do with their role in the theatre of warfare.

Today some navies, if they are not just called defense forces employ the Corvette for inshore patrol, with a bit of a punch. While the Frigate is more of a real warship, missiles, air defenses, Helicopter facility and torpedo tubes.