14.1 |
Military equipment (post-conflict)
118.
Mr Balmer’s
paper was endorsed by DMB on 26 June, which said it should be
used
as a basis
for STP/EP04, although any policy decisions would be considered
more fully
later in
the planning round.53
119.
At the time of
the invasion of Iraq, the Protected Patrol Vehicles (PPVs) in
service
with the
Army were Snatch and Tavern.
120.
By 2002,
Snatch was already at the end of its planned life In
Service.
A Protected
Patrol Vehicle (PPV) is a wheeled vehicle, that provides some
ballistic
protection
to personnel inside.54
PPVs were
initially designed to carry four people, although more recent
models, such
as the
Mastiff, can carry 10 people. The PPV’s purpose is to enable a
combination of
foot and
vehicle‑mounted patrols; generally, but not exclusively, within
peace support/
counter‑insurgency
operations. That is distinct from heavier, Armoured Fighting
Vehicles
(AFVs),
which are primarily designed for combat. A PPV must enable one
(ideally two) top
cover
sentries to observe the environment when mobile. PPVs are expected
to be able
to operate
on roads and tracks and need to be agile.
A PPV has
to maintain freedom of manoeuvre and mobility to patrol in both
urban and
semi‑rural
environments. PPVs provide a less aggressive profile than AFVs,
thereby
enabling
the patrol to be more engaged with local populations.
121.
The Snatch
Land Rover was designed for operations in Northern Ireland
and
entered
service in 1992.55
It was also
deployed in limited numbers to Kosovo and
Macedonia.
122.
In March 2000,
the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency provided advice
to
the Defence
Procurement Agency (DPA) about the limited levels of protection
afforded
by the
vehicle.56
It
stated:
“The
vehicle was also tested against the RPG 7 [Rocket Propelled Grenade
7] and
improvised
grenades, as would be expected it does not offer full protection
from this
type of
device.”
123.
Lieutenant
General Graeme Lamb, GOC MND(SE) from July 2003 to
December
2003, told
the Inquiry that “in Northern Ireland we didn’t drive vehicles
south of
whichever
line it was for 20 years because of the threat of massive IEDs
[Improvised
Explosive
Devices] that were being placed in the road”.57
53
Minutes, 26
June 2003, Defence Management Board meeting.
54
Minute
Applegate to APS/Min(DP), 28 June 2006, ‘Protected Patrol Vehicles
(PPV)’.
55
Letter MOD
to Iraq Inquiry, 24 January 2011, ‘MOD Evidence: Equipment
Issues’.
56
Minute MOD
[junior officer] to MOD [junior officer], 1 March 2000, ‘Reference
SNATCH Armour’.
57
Private
hearing, 24 May 2010, page 26.
23