The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
832.
Ridgback
entered service in June 2009 in Afghanistan. It was not deployed to
Iraq.
833.
On 6 March
2010, the BBC reported that Mr Brown visited troops in
Afghanistan
and said
that 200 new patrol vehicles would arrive in late 2011 to replace
the Snatch
834.
That new
patrol vehicle was the Foxhound, which arrived in Afghanistan
on
17 June
2012.446
The MOD’s
announcement about its arrival did not refer to the
Snatch
Land Rover,
or any other PPVs.
835.
The MOD told
the Inquiry:
“The
Foxhound is a Protected Patrol Vehicle. It underwent final testing
in the
Helmand
desert before being deployed on operations. Foxhound was
specifically
designed
and built in Britain to protect against the threats faced by troops
in
Afghanistan,
but it is an agile and versatile vehicle which will be a mainstay
in the
Army for
years to come. Being lighter and smaller than other protected
vehicles,
Foxhound
brings a new capability to the Army and is ideal for soldiers
operating
in mentoring
and partnering roles.”447
836.
The Snatch 2
Land Rover remains in service with the British
Army.448
The
British
Army’s
website states that it is “deployed for general patrolling in low
threat areas” and
is “being
extensively replaced by Vector and Mastiff”.
837.
In June 2004,
the UK had made a public commitment to deploy HQ ARRC
to
Afghanistan
in 2006, based on a recommendation from the Chiefs of Staff and
Mr Hoon,
and with
Mr Straw’s support. HQ ARRC was a NATO asset for which the UK
was the
lead nation
and provided 60 percent of its staff. That decision is described in
Section
9.2. By
October, that decision had become an important factor in
considering resources
for Iraq.
838.
In July 2005,
the DOP agreed proposals for both the transfer of the four
provinces
in MND(SE)
to Iraqi control and for the deployment of the UK Provincial
Reconstruction
Team then
based in northern Afghanistan to Helmand province in the South,
along
with an
infantry battlegroup and full helicopter support – around 2,500
personnel.
That decision
is described in Section 9.4.
839.
On 26 January
2006, the UK announced that it would be deploying 3,300
troops
to Helmand
province.
445
BBC
News, 6 March
2010, Gordon
Brown visits Afghan troops amid defence row.
446
GOV.UK, 17
June 2012, Foxhound
arrives in Afghanistan.
447
Letter
Duke‑Evans to Hammond, 2 February 2016, [untitled].
448
British
Army website,
[undated], Equipment/Snatch
2 Land Rover. Correct as
of date of publication.
144