Special operations force of the Irish Defence Forces
Irish Army Ranger Wing
Irish: Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm
Shoulder flash and insignia of the Army Ranger Wing
Active
16 March 1980 (1980-03-16) – present[1]
Country
Ireland
Branch
Irish Army
Type
Special forces
Role
Counter-terrorism Special operations Direct action Counterinsurgency Special reconnaissance Extraction operations
Size
Classified
Part of
Defence Forces
Garrison/HQ
DFTC, Curragh Camp, County Kildare[2]
Nickname(s)
Fiannóglaigh/Fianóglach"[3]
Motto(s)
Glaine ár gcroí, Neart ár ngéag, Agus beart de réir ár mbriathar[4] ("The cleanliness of our hearts, The strength of our limbs, And our commitment to our promise")[4]
Colours
Black, Red and Gold[5]
Engagements
UNOSOM II INTERFET UNPROFOR UNFICYP UNIFIL MINURSO UNMIL MINURCAT MINUSMA
Website
www.military.ie/en/who-we-are/army/arw/
Insignia
Green Beret
Abbreviation
ARW
Military unit
The Army Ranger Wing (ARW) (Irish: Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm,[6] "SFA") is the special operations force of the Irish Defence Forces, the military of Ireland. In late 2023, it was reported that the unit was to be renamed the Ireland Special Operations Force (IRL-SOF).[7] It is a branch of the Irish Army, it also selects personnel from the Naval Service and Air Corps. It serves at the behest of the Defence Forces and Government of Ireland, operating internally and overseas, and reports directly to the Chief of Staff. The ARW was established in 1980 with the primary role of counter terrorism and evolved to both special operations and counter-terrorism roles from 2000 after the end of conflict in Northern Ireland.[5][8] The unit is based in the Curragh Camp, County Kildare. The 2015 White Paper on Defence announced that the strength of the ARW would be considerably increased due to operational requirements at home and overseas.[9]
The unit has served abroad in a number of international peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions including in Somalia, East Timor, Liberia, Chad, and Mali.[5] The ARW trains with special forces units around the world, particularly in Europe.[10] The ARW in its domestic counter terrorism role trains and deploys with the Garda Síochána (national police) specialist armed intervention unit, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU).[11]
^"Army Ranger Wing - 10 Years in Existence" (PDF). An Cosantóir. 50 (4): 2–3. April 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
^"Defence Forces Training Centre". Defence Forces. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
^"Sciathán Finnóglach na hAirm (Army Ranger Wing)". 28 January 2009. Shadow Spear. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
^ ab"The Army Ranger Wing". Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
^ abcBourke, Wesley (April 2010). "ARW 30 years in action" (PDF). An Cosantóir. 70 (3). Retrieved 14 November 2016.
^"About The ARW". military.ie. Irish Defence Forces. Retrieved 11 September 2021. Unit is officially designated 'Sciathán Fianóglach an Airm' which is translated as 'The Army Ranger Wing' (ARW)
^"Army's elite special forces unit to be overhauled in major revamp". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
^Bourke, Wesley (August 2007). "Tomorrow's Forces Today" (PDF). An Cosantóir. 67 (6): 6–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
^"White Paper on Defence". Department of Defence. August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
^OC ARW (April 2010). "Special Forces in the 21st Century" (PDF). An Cosantóir. 70 (3): 24.
^Brady, Tom (2 January 2014). "Frontline forces: elite Ranger Wing grows in size by one-third". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
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Global Information
Ireland
Irish Army
Defence Forces