The Orange Volunteers (OV) is a loyalist paramilitary organization operating primarily in Northern Ireland. Formed in the early 1970s, the group is closely associated with the Orange Order, a Protestant fraternal organization. <p><br />As a loyalist organization, the OV support the current political status of Northern Ireland.  They support Northern Ireland's inclusion as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and reject any efforts to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.  In the 1970s, the OV was the second largest loyalist organization after the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). However, the OV was widely believed to have disbanded by the 1980s. <p><br />In July 1998, the OV reemerged, issuing claims of responsibility for violent attacks in Northern Ireland.  It is believed that the group was resurrected for the express purpose of destabilizing the peace process and a political settlement with Irish republicans.  The group is thought to be composed of disgruntled members of the UDA and Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) who opposed their groups' ceasefires.  It is possible that the name was resurrected without any actual connection to the Orange Volunteers iteration founded in the early 1970s. Due to its emergence around the same time as the Red Hand Defenders (RHD), security forces believe the two groups share the same members. There have also been several instances where the RHD and OV have claimed responsibility for the same attack. <p><br />In addition to maintaining Northern Ireland's ties to the United Kingdom, the OV believe it to be their self-appointed duty to protect Northern Ireland's Protestant population, as well as the Protestant faith as a whole. To this end, in November 1998, the Orange Volunteers declared their first objective was to kill the Republican terrorist members who would be released as part of the peace process. However, the majority of its attacks have been pipe bombings, arson attacks, and assaults targeting Catholic civilian interests such as churches, residences, and businesses.  Due to its selection of "soft" targets, there have been accusations that the OV is merely a cover name utilized by the UDA or LVF, enabling members to continue conducting attacks while their organization publicly abide by ceasefires. <br />