The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

74. Lt Gen Reith assessed that all provinces coming under the UK’s AOR would be at

least “relatively stable” with “medium‑high” or “high” levels of consent to the Coalition

amongst the local population.

75. In a separate annex, there was a table of UK force requirements which assessed

that the helicopters required were three Chinook, three Lynx and three Puma or Sea King.

76. By 9 May, the MOD had approved 18 Phase IV measures at a cost of around £87m,

and a further 12 were being processed.32

77. On 30 May, a list of all the equipment capability UORs approved for the

pre‑deployment and invasion phases were sent around the MOD with an analysis of how

they did or did not address equipment capability gaps.33 It sought to determine where

UOR activity was focused, “both in terms of the capability delivered and also in terms

of the relationship between UORs and the Equipment Programme”.

78. The capability shortfalls addressed by UORs were:

• network‑enabled capability 31 percent;

• force protection 19 percent;

• force projection 12 percent;

• counter‑terrorism/Special Forces 7 percent;

• precision strike 3 percent; and

• other 27 percent.

79. The analysis stated that the fact that almost a third of the UORs were required

to address shortfalls in network-enabled capability validated “the major balance of

investment shift undertaken” in the 2003 Equipment Programme (EP03). That also

applied, “albeit to a lesser extent”, to the force protection and force projection

enhancements.

80. In August 2004, Major General William Rollo, GOC MND(SE) July to December

2004, asked that “consideration be given to the establishment of an EC [Equipment

Capability] staff within HQ MND(SE)”.34

81. A short study was commissioned in September to determine the feasibility of

Maj Gen Rollo’s request.35 The report stated that one of the main difficulties “was in

32 Minute CM(M) to PS/Min(DP), 9 May 2003, ‘Iraq: Op TELIC Phase 4 UORs’.

33 Minute DEP and DCRS to DNO, 30 May 2003, ‘Op TELIC UORs from DEP and DCRS’.

34 Minute, 10 June 2005, ‘Multi National Division (South East) Equipment Capability – Initial Deployment

Report’.

35 Minute, 10 June 2005, ‘Multi National Division (South East) Equipment Capability – Initial Deployment

Report’.

16