The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
PPVs that
could be converted to Snatch 2, and the exact number of Vector
vehicles that
it would be
possible to procure, was not yet known.
340.
In considering
protection levels, the paper stated:
“The
increasing levels of violence during Phase IV of Op TELIC, which
necessitated
the
widespread use of protected mobility, have been highlighted in
recent reports.168
Additionally
OA [operational analysis] is consistently reporting on the
increased
effectiveness
of small arms weapons and ammunition. Therefore the PPV CIWG
has
deemed that
the combination of ECM and an enhanced level of protection […]
are
to be the
minimum standard for TYPE B Vector Variant. For Type A, a […]
protection
level, in
conjunction with ECM, is deemed sufficient given the nature of the
threat it
is likely
to be exposed to …”
341.
Highlighting
current concerns, including the DOC Op TELIC Lessons study,
the
paper
stated:
•
“As
experience from the last 18 months has shown, having insufficient
PPV to
meet the
operational demands … has resulted not only in sub‑optimal
solutions
through
reallocation between theatres (and a commensurate increase
in
operational
risk for all concerned), but also adverse media attention
…”
•
“There are
public, political and media expectations that military operations
can
now be
conducted without significant casualties. Indeed, lessons learnt
from
operations
and policy guidance are demanding sustained investment to
provide
sufficient
protected mobility vehicles for operations in hostile environments,
such
as Iraq and
Afghanistan.”
“Despite
the significant resource constraint that has been placed on this
aspect of
the Force
Protection capability as a result of EP/STP05, the operational
requirement
for Op
HERRICK [Afghanistan], which has been the principal driver behind
this PPV
work,
demands a more capable vehicle than PPV Snatch 2. Indeed, the need
for
PPV is
unlikely to diminish for the foreseeable future.”
The
Statement of Requirement (SOR) produced by the MOD on 21 February
2005 stated
that it
reflected revised funding levels for PPVs as agreed by the DMB as
part of the 2005
Equipment
Programme. The MOD claimed that was a 45 percent cut in
funding.
The Inquiry
has been unable to find any evidence that that was the
case.
168
“In
particular, DOC Op TELIC lessons Study, Vol 2 …” This footnote is
provided in the original
document.
60