The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1088.
On 11 October,
Gen Granville‑Chapman produced an update on helicopter
and
ISTAR
shortfalls.575
The updates
that involved Iraq were:
•
Four
additional Nimrod MR2 would be deployed in “Iraq/Afghanistan”
from
1 November
2006 to 30 April 2007.
•
A business
case for a mini‑UAV was being developed to provide
surveillance
capability
at “company/battlegroup level” by June 2007. In parallel,
MND(SE)
was running
trials on Raven, a US system, to inform the choice.
•
MND(SE) had
produced a USUR for a tactical UAV. DEC ISTAR had
already
received
proposals from engagement with industry and was in the process
of
selecting
the most appropriate option. The initial operating capability
depended
on the
system selected but was “likely to be around by June
2007”.
•
The
installation of a “layered and networked surveillance” capability
at fixed sites
was moving
forward.
1089.
Further
meetings and discussions took place in October with a clear focus
on
increasing
helicopter availability, primarily in Afghanistan.576
The only
action discussed
in relation
to Iraq was the possibility of using two of the six Danish Merlin
that the UK
was
intending to purchase to replace Sea King, with a view to modifying
and redeploying
those Sea
Kings to Afghanistan.577
1090.
On 24 October,
Mr Jonathan Lyle, Director Air and Weapons Systems, wrote
to
Lord
Drayson advising that acquiring six Danish Merlin aircraft would
increase the fleet
of Merlin
support helicopters to a total of 28 aircraft, “enabling an
enduring deployment
of 7 Merlin
and an uplift of 40 percent on those currently deployed to Op
TELIC”.578
That would
provide a “more robust and enduring capability than, for example,
modifying
Merlin Mk1
aircraft”.
“Merlin is
a success on Op TELIC and is the aircraft of choice for Iraq. To
minimise
the
logistic footprint within JHF(I), the JHC favour an all Merlin
force in Op TELIC.
Subject to
addressing the ISTAR requirement, such a deployment would
release
Sea King to
… Afghanistan …”
575
Minute
Granville‑Chapman to CDL, 11 October 2006, ‘Progress on Rotary Wing
(RW) and ISTAR
Shortfalls’
attaching Paper VCDS, 11 October 2006, ‘Action Plan to Address RW
Operational Shortfalls
– Progress
as at 5 Oct 06’; Paper VCDS, 11 October 2006, ‘Action Plan to
Address ISTAR Operational
Shortfalls
– Progress as at 5 Oct 06’; and Paper VCDS, 11 October 2006,
‘Current Status of ISTAR
Capability
and Progress Post Action Plan’.
576
Minute VCDS
to CDL, 11 October 2006, ‘Progress on Rotary Wing (RW) and ISTAR
Shortfalls’; Minute
English to
PS/Min(AF), 19 October 2006, ‘Helicopter’; Minute ACDS(Ops) to
MA/VCDS, 23 October 2006,
‘Helicopter
Capability’.
577
Minute
ACDS(Ops) to MA/VCDS, 23 October 2006, ‘Helicopter
Capability’.
578
Minute Lyle
to APS/Min(DP), 24 October 2006, ‘Helicopter
Acquisition’.
186