14.1 |
Military equipment (post-conflict)
1204.
Lt Gen Houghton
was asked to provide the Chiefs of Staff with an analysis of
the
effectiveness
of the counter‑IDF measures one month after the UK C‑RAM became
fully
operational.
1205.
On 12 June,
Lord Drayson was advised that initial operating capability for
Hermes
450 would
be achieved in Iraq on 25 June.633
Additionally,
45 ground terminals had been
delivered
to theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan to enable FMV
viewing.
1206.
An annex on
ISTAR UORs stated that initial operating capability for Desert
Hawk
3 had been
achieved in Iraq on 6 June.
1207.
On 9 July, an
official confirmed that the Hermes 450 had reached
initial
1208.
On 10 July,
Lt Gen Houghton briefed the Chiefs of Staff that, between
April and
July 2007,
there had been a “marked increase” in attacks to the COB with over
200 IDF
attacks in
a three‑month period.635
1209.
In his
post‑operation tour report, Major General Jonathan Shaw, GOC
MND(SE)
from
January to August 2007, described the fielding of UAVs as
delivering a “step
change in
capability” although he warned that MND(SE) still required Corps
level
assistance.636
He
continued:
“ … the
imperative is now to integrate effectively our new UK UAVs to
reduce this
dependency.”
1210.
On 4
September, the Chiefs of Staff were briefed that the US attack
helicopter
had
returned to Baghdad but was “available if
required”.637
1211.
Major General
Graham Binns, GOC MND(SE) from August 2007 to February
2008, told
the Inquiry:
“By late
2007, we had a very sophisticated method of protecting ourselves
against
rocket
attack, which was the predominant form of attack.”638
1212.
When asked
about the threat of IDF, Maj Gen Binns said it had
“reduced
significantly”
because of the improvement in surveillance:
“Our
ability to engage those who were firing rockets at us from the air
improved to
such an
extent that we forced them back into the town and the further away
they
are, the
more inaccurate they are. So the whole threat of indirect fire
reduced.
633
Minute DEC
ISTAR to PS/Min(DES), 12 June 2007, ‘ISTAR UORs’.
634
Email MOD
[junior official] to APS/Minister(DES), 9 July 2007, ‘Hermes
450’.
635
Minutes, 10
July 2007, Chiefs of Staff meeting.
636
HQ MND(SE)
report, 14 August 2007, ‘Post Operation Tour Report Shawforce Jan –
Aug 07’.
637
Minutes, 4
September 2007, Chiefs of Staff meeting.
638
Public
hearing, 15 January 2010, page 33‑34.
205