The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
1226.
On 12
December, a USUR for an “armed long loiter, long range capability”
was
raised by
MND(SE).644
It stated
that existing measures to protect against IDF and IEDs
were
reactive:
“MND(SE)
therefore needs a pro‑active SENSE capability that will also
INTERCEPT
IED and IDF
attacks before they can launch their attack. Rapid and
decisive
disruption
of IED and IDF teams will also be a potential
deterrent.”
1227.
The USUR
stated that between January and October 2007:
•
IED attacks
had caused 21 deaths and 81 casualties.
•
IDF attacks
had caused five deaths and 127 casualties. The rate of attacks
had
abated
since September but the sustained level of attacks by insurgents in
the
first part
of the year indicated “their capability and capacity to sustain
high rates
of fire
when the intent exists”.
1228.
The
operational requirement was:
“… to
observe insurgents and their weapon systems (IDF/IED) across the AO
[Area
of
Operations] over long durations and long range, which is integrated
with a rapid,
precision
capability to engage targets once identified.”
1229.
The solution
proposed by MND(SE) was an armed Predator B UAV.
1230.
The Inquiry
asked the MOD to confirm that the Predator B (Reaper) was
never
deployed to
Iraq. The MOD stated that it was “available to the UK as a
Coalition asset”
but was
never deployed to Iraq.645
1231.
From July
2007, the further hardening of accommodation was complicated
by
uncertainty
surrounding the UK’s position in Iraq. Mr Gordon Brown, the
Prime Minister,
announced
plans for the military drawdown in Basra in October.
1232.
On 29 July
2007, Mr Browne wrote to Mr Andy Burnham, Chief
Secretary
to the
Treasury, requesting an additional £32m from the Reserve for
hardened
1233.
Mr Browne
explained that the estimated total cost of the work at Basra Air
Station
would be
£186m and work would be complete by March 2011. Due to
“uncertainties on
future
force levels”, it was proposed to approve the structures in “up to
six tranches”.
644
Minute
MND(SE) EC [junior officer] to PJHQ – DACOS J3 EC, 12 December
2007, ‘Operation TELIC –
Urgent
Statement of User Requirement (USUR) for an Armed Long Loiter, Long
Range Capability’.
645
Letter
Duke‑Evans to Hammond, 4 February 2016, [untitled].
646
Letter
Browne to Burnham, 29 July 2007, ‘Tier 3 Hardened Accommodation at
the Basra Contingent
Operating
Base’.
208