The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
124.
The
replacement of Snatch Land Rovers, and Tavern, was being
addressed
through
Project DUCKBOARD, a programme pursing the provision of light
protected
mobility
vehicles for counter‑terrorist and public order operations in
Northern Ireland
from
2007‑2008 onwards.58
125.
A draft User
Statement of Requirement (USUR) for Project DUCKBOARD
produced on
7 January 2002 said:
“The
current NI [Northern Ireland] patrol vehicles are essential for
troop deployment,
patrolling
urban and rural areas and for administrative tasks. They were
procured
to counter
the threat from low and high velocity small arms, Improvised
Explosive
Devices
(IED), anti‑armour weapons, petrol bombs and general
hand‑held
catapulted
missiles. In order to afford the troops on the ground an acceptable
level
of
protection, mobility and capacity to counter the threat two
vehicles are currently
in service,
Tavern in the high risk areas and Snatch in the lower risk
areas.”59
126.
The USUR noted
that the End Service Date for Snatch was 2002 but it
was
anticipated
that would need to be extended. It concluded that as vehicles
arising out
of Project
DUCKBOARD entered service, Snatch and Tavern would be phased
out
of
service.
The
features and capabilities of a vehicle, or any other platform, are
only one element
of
protection.
The
military rely on Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) to avoid
being located,
identified
or targeted. Devising successful TTPs is part of trying to make UK
forces as safe
as possible
from the likelihood of attack.
Military
platforms are provided with other features to act as an additional
layer of
protection
in the event that the TTPs are not successful. This could mean
armour being
placed on
the outside of a vehicle, electronic countermeasures, or it could
be enhanced
surveillance
equipment. A solution cannot be applied universally but will depend
on the
nature of
the threat.
58
Letter MOD
to Iraq Inquiry, 24 January 2011, ‘MOD Evidence: Equipment
Issues’.
59
Minute
Ewing, 7 January 2002, ‘User Statement of Requirement (USOR) for
Future NI Patrol Vehicle –
Project
DUCKBOARD’.
24