14.1 | Military equipment (post-conflict)

damaging and had led directly to the need for force protection enhancements to

FV430 vehicles deployed in Iraq. The DMB stressed that it expected lessons to

be learned.

512. The up‑armoured FV430 vehicles, known as Bulldog, began to deploy to Iraq in

December 2006.267

513. Following his trip to Iraq in late 2006, General Sir Timothy Granville‑Chapman,

Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, recorded:

“Bulldog (up‑armoured and engined 430) received rave reviews for its protection

(not yet fully tested), mobility in tight streets and reduction in road/kerb damage.

The battlegroup’s hierarchy saw it as a sound medium capability for up to

10 years.”268

514. As the preceding text in this Section shows, the MOD had been considering

the potential requirement to deploy PPVs concurrently in Iraq and Afghanistan since

2004. In February 2005, it had been decided that, alongside the Snatch conversion

programme, 100 Vector vehicles should be procured.

515. A business case for Project Vector, requesting approval to purchase 62 Vector

vehicles at a cost of £18.8m was submitted to the IAB on 13 March 2006.269 Those

vehicles were intended for Afghanistan. PJHQ accepted that the vehicles would not

be available before March 2007.

516. The business case stated that “initial scoping studies” for a Vector vehicle solution

had considered “an increased capacity Snatch” but that had not been successful and

would not be considered any further as a suitable platform for Vector. That was due to

a “complete inability” to meet the Key User Requirement concerning the weight it was

expected to carry.

517. Snatch 2 vehicles had been deployed to Afghanistan but had been “restricted to

urban patrols” because of their mobility issues and the extreme terrain. Vector would

offer a “substantial increase in the performance to that of Snatch 2 in terms of protection,

mobility and capacity”. On protection it stated:

“It can be seen that Vector can be used in a more hostile environment than Snatch

as is anticipated on Op HERRICK once full operations are undertaken.”

518. The operational analysis had been conducted by DSTL.

519. The business case stated: “Vector is currently CinC (LAND) [Gen Dannatt]’s

highest priority.”

267 House of Commons Standard Note, SN/IA/5128, 14 July 2009, Afghanistan: Equipment Issues.

268 Minute VCDS to CDS, 4 December 2006, ‘VCDS’s visit to Afghanistan and Iraq 27 Nov – 2 Dec 06’.

269 Paper DEC(SP), 13 March 2006, ‘Business Case – Project Vector’.

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