Air War in Northern Ireland: Britain’s Air Arms and the ‘Bandit Country’ of South Armagh; Operation Banner 1969-2007 - Steven Taylor

This review has been submitted to Canadian Army Today Magazine

Title: Air War in Northern Ireland: Britain’s Air Arms and the ‘Bandit Country’ of South Armagh; Operation Banner 1969-2007
Author: Steven Taylor
ISBN: 978-1-526-72154-9
Publisher: Pen and Sword

Year: 2018

Hardcover
Pages: 157
Photos/Maps: 1/16 

The British involvement in Northern Ireland has had numerous works written about it ranging from oral and first person accounts to asymmetric warfare techniques that were followed and the political machinations undertaken at the local, national and international level. What has not had much light shed upon it was the role played by the air arm of the British military engaged and how it supported land operations in the field. The author undertakes in this work, to address this historical oversight and to round out the narrative of UK/PIRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) operations during the time of ‘The Troubles’. 

The book is a relatively fast read. While it provides an excellent overview of the nature and challenges of the air operations, it does not drill down terribly deeply into the methodologies used in planning combined operations, the challenges faced by the various elements as they strove to work together and the means by which doctrine was adjusted to meet the dynamic nature of the IRA’s modus operandi. 

There are; however, a series of themes that flow through the narrative. Each serve to highlight the challenges and benefits encountered by both the UK and IRA in undertaking and responding to the unique operating environment of Northern Ireland. These include: 1. The close proximity of the porous border of the Republic Of Ireland to South Armagh meant that PIRA operatives had a means of escape readily available to them from any pursuit; 2. The international reach and support given to the PIRA from Libya and the United States; and the role played by US law enforcement in disrupting efforts by the PIRA to attain advanced weaponry to counter the air threat; 3. The increasing focus and frustration experienced by the PIRA as they sought a means to overcome the advantages air support provided to the British; 4. The ingenious methods and countermeasures developed by each side to counter advances by the other; 5. The necessity of the PIRA to maintain the support of the population and its impact upon their ability to strike at British air assets. Each of these streams of narrative interweave to provide a broad picture of the complexity of air operations in the region.   

Taylor does provide a more detailed look at the nature of the British air assets and the multitude of roles that they played. While helicopters carried the brunt of the operational load, numerous fixed wing aircraft types provided invaluable reconnaissance and tactical support to ground operations. This discussion is enlightening as it further reinforces the technological advantages and limitations of different air platforms as well as the massive logistical effort required to keep these resources operating. 

The quality of the book from P&S is very good. The map outlining the operational theatre of Northern Ireland is clear and the text very readable. The author has provided a very comprehensive bibliography that provides a significant array of websites, primary source documents and further material for the interested reader. This book is a good starting point from which to examine the nature of air operations in an asymmetric and first world environment.