Ireland’s elite soldiers get an upgrade

The Army Ranger Wing (ARW), the most elite and secretive unit of the Defence Forces, is to undertake its largest restructuring in its 43-year history.

The most visible change will be a new name: Ireland Special Operations Force or IRL-SOF for short. But as Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains, there will also be dramatic changes to its command-and-control structure, making it a central part of military decision-making and, as a result, more likely to be deployed on missions in Ireland and abroad.

The changes mirror those in other western militaries which have increased the size of their special operations forces while also granting them more autonomy and status.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

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