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Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Expert group warned military air traffic control staffing issue would re-emerge
An expert group urged four years ago for a special payment to be given to military air traffic controllers to dissuade them from leaving the Defence Forces for the private sector. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. The group's report argued that problems with the operation of military air traffic control services would continue to emerge every few years if issues continued to be tackled on an ad hoc basis. The report, drawn up by a joint Department of Defence and Defence Forces group, recommended introducing a service commitment scheme that would boost pay for air traffic control personnel. READ MORE The report said 'stability must be ensured through retaining experience and stopping air traffic service personnel numbers dropping further'. It urged adopting a 'blended approach of incentives and undertakings' to minimise 'premature voluntary retirements'. 'Having a pathway for personnel who complete training to take up a role (and technical pay) specific to their skill set, or the ability to pay qualified controllers the appropriate technical pay after completing their training, would mitigate the impact of gaps within the unit,' the report said. It is understood the 2021 report was not acted upon, and the service is now facing a new staffing crisis. Last week it emerged that an acute shortage of trained air traffic controllers (ATCs) at the Air Corps ' only base at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin, is expected to lead to military flight operations being restricted to a five-day-a-week, daytime-only schedule. [ Parlous state of Defence Forces once again laid bare Opens in new window ] The move will have huge implications for rescue, medical and policing services that use the Baldonnel airbase. The 505 Squadron, which is responsible for air traffic control, is supposed to have 21 personnel but in recent years it has been operating at about 50 per cent capacity. Five personnel are due to depart shortly for the private sector, necessitating the move to a reduced schedule, which takes effect from June 7th. The 2021 report recommended reforms to training, recruitment and retention. However, it warned that having non-military personnel run the air traffic service in its entirety or contracting it out to an external provider is 'not an option'. The report said there should be a minimum of 32 personnel in the air traffic control unit. It said personnel undergoing training should have to make a four-year commitment. [ State attempting to reach settlements with Air Corps chemical victims, Tánaiste says Opens in new window ] The Air Corps is responsible for air navigation in airspace designated for use by the Defence Forces. In 2016 the retirement of key personnel led to a restriction on operations. A full 24-hour service was restored in 2021. The joint review group was established to identify options for the long-term sustainability of the air traffic service at Baldonnel. The report said issues related to the air traffic service in the past were 'largely dealt with in an ad hoc manner'. 'Maintaining such an approach will lead to problems continuing or re-emerging from time to time every number of years.' It said the military air traffic service is 'a strategic asset' that ensures air connectivity for the State. 'Casement Aerodrome is the only secure military airfield within the State, and is itself a strategic asset. Military air traffic service plays a vital role in maintaining this capability and in ensuring the security of operations in interactions with other agencies,' the report said.
Khaleej Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Why abandoning the women, peace and security agenda is a mistake
US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, recently announced that he was ending the Department of Defence's support for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, accusing it of being a divisive, 'woke' and unnecessary programme from the Biden era. But by doing so, he not only risks undermining President Donald Trump's WPS Act, legislation signed during Trump's first term, but is also jeopardising the important gains made by the US defence department, which has seen steady growth in American women serving. That the United States is ending its support for the United Nations-led WPS agenda comes as no surprise amidst a domestic climate where DEI programmes are being rolled back, but the WPS agenda remains important to advocate for women's increased participation in the security sector. It is a multilateral agenda born out of the concern that women were historically left out of negotiations and peace building initiatives despite them being heavily impacted by war. When the WPS agenda was introduced by UNSC Resolution 1325 in 2000, it started an unprecedented movement by the international community to consider women as key partners to peace. The 10 UNSC resolutions adopted since then, nine of which were supported by the US, demanded that women be fully engaged in conflict resolution. It is imperative that we don't abandon the WPS agenda during this seminal year — when the UN observes its 25 th anniversary. Progress and gains made since 2000: While uneven, the gains that were brought by the WPS agenda are substantial and need to be recognised. By 2024, 108 countries had a National Action Plan (NAP) for WPS, which indicates a commitment to applying the agenda domestically and in foreign policy. Various international organisations, including Nato, the League of Arab States, the African Union and the European Union, have also officially adopted their own NAPs and strategies for WPS, embracing its principles. Between 1992 and 2019, women constituted just 13 per cent of negotiators and 6 per cent of mediators in peace processes worldwide. The adoption of the WPS agenda helped increase women's representation, albeit in a modest way, and i n 2023, women made up 13.7 per cent of mediators and 26.6 per cent of signatories of peace agreements. The UN also increased the share of women in its mediation support teams to 43 per cent in 2022, an uptick from 30 per cent in 2019. Another improvement to note is that the presence of gender provisions found in peace agreements also rose since the 1990s. While only 12 per cent of peace agreements made references to women between 1990 and 2000, 31 per cent of agreements now include gender provisions. It is easy to dismiss these numbers as tributes to an elitist agenda that helps women leaders keep their positions. But WPS serves a larger number of women who would otherwise remain invisible. Through subsequent resolutions, the WPS agenda has raised awareness against conflict-related sexual violence and provided mechanisms to hold perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) accountable for their crimes. It has also shed light on, and empowered, women's involvement in informal and community-centered peace processes. For example, Yemeni women formed networks and groups to de-escalate tensions and fighting over resources, and helped with the evacuation of schools during attacks. They also facilitated aid access, reintegrated child soldiers, and helped release over 300 prisoners. The inclusion of women in informal peace efforts and local peacebuilding is important for peace. Women have access to domestic spaces that men do not. They can assist with disbursing aid, protecting victims of GBV and caring for other women and children in conservative contexts that are often overlooked during conflict. By recognising and formalising their efforts, we ensure that peace processes include everyone. Where we go from here: Abandoning the WPS agenda not only wipes out three decades of advocacy, it also erases past and current contributions made by women to global peace. With persistent global conflicts, women's role in finding solutions is key. Women bring local knowledge and access, they command trust within their communities and they offer unique perspectives that would otherwise be lost. We would also be wise to remember that some of the main benefactors of the WPS agenda are women soldiers. The agenda clearly advocates for an increased presence of women in the military and seeks to create more equitable and safer security structures where women would be encouraged to join, serve and lead. In essence, the WPS agenda is compatible with all defence strategies that seek to see more women in combat roles and promoted to senior ranks. By emphasising women's continuous training for various peacekeeping operations, the agenda gives the defense industry valuable insights into how their missions could succeed in difficult contexts. The benefits of the agenda are by no means 'woke'; they are real. And they are needed. The principles of the agenda are not 'divisive', they are inclusive. They make military structures stronger and more prepared to face threats and post-war scenarios where millions of women and children need help. The WPS agenda should not be a mere box-ticking exercise for states to pledge allegiance to women's empowerment when it suits them, or discard when the political tide changes. It is a global and necessary multilateral effort that states have willingly adopted to redress historical gender imbalances that left women victimised and invisible for too long. To abandon it in 2025 is to renounce a moral and strategic imperative that will prove costly to millions. Dr Sara Chehab is a Senior Research Fellow at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US accepts Qatar luxury jet to serve as Trump's Air Force One
The Pentagon has formally accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar to temporarily serve as the new Air Force One for US President Donald Trump, one of the biggest foreign gifts ever given to the United States government. The move fulfils Trump's desire for a new presidential aircraft, after years of delays in the US government's contract with the aerospace giant for new planes to serve that role. Still, the gift raises ethical and security concerns, with politicians from both parties questioning the president's decision. 'The Secretary of Defence has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,' chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. 'The Department of Defence will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.' He referred further questions to the Air Force, which oversees the presidential aircraft. A Boeing 747 with the colour scheme of planes used by the Qatari royal family is seen on May 2, 2025 at San Antonio International Airport in Texas. Photo: The San Antonio Express-News via AP A second Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to further questions about the projected costs and timeline for the conversion of the aircraft, or what role the department would play in a review of compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
