The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
“There is a
requirement to assess and improve our AT capacity as an
operational
priority.
The UK should consider civilian air charter to off-load capacity
…”
64.
The House of
Commons Defence Committee visited Iraq from 4 to 8
June.48
On
the
air bridge,
the Committee wrote:
“During our
visit to Iraq, we heard that air bridge reliability remained a key
concern
among UK
Service Personnel. We witnessed at first hand the disruption
caused
by delays
of flights in and out of, and around, theatre. The difficulties
stem from
problems
both with the commercial service between the UK and Al Udeid and
with
the C-130
Hercules in theatre and the availability of RAF air bridge TriStar,
VC10
and C-17.
Troops travelling home on leave are frequently delayed and this
reduces
their time
on leave.”
65.
The Defence
Committee concluded:
“It is
unacceptable that Servicemen and women, many of whom are
serving
greatly in
excess of Harmony Guidelines, should have their leave
disrupted
by the
MOD’s inability to provide a reliable air bridge.”
66.
The MOD
ordered a fifth C-17 aircraft in July 2006, and took delivery of
that aircraft
67.
In its 2009
report entitled Support to
High Intensity Operations, the National
Audit
Office
(NAO) wrote:
“The
Department’s [the MOD’s] air transport fleet is small, consists of
aircraft types
that are
old by comparison to modern civilian fleets and is therefore
susceptible to
mechanical
breakdown. In addition, the integration of modern Defensive Aids
Suites
on to these
aircraft has caused reliability problems. The availability of the
TriStar
fleet, the
Department’s main passenger carrying aircraft, has been low. Of the
seven
TriStar
passenger-carrying aircraft, on average 45.5 percent since January
2006,
have been
unavailable to support operations. Significant effort by those
responsible
for the air
transport fleet has enabled the Department to deliver the overall
task but
the air
bridge remains under considerable strain.”50
68.
On the
fragility of the air bridge, Mr Ingram told the
Inquiry:
“The air
bridge … was very fragile. We were dealing with ageing aircraft,
you just
need an
aircraft to break down for a few hours and the whole thing is
thrown into
dislocation.
48
Thirteenth
Report from the Defence Committee, Session 2005-2006,
UK
Operations in Iraq,
HC1241,
paragraph
69.
49
www.raf.mod.uk,
22 February 2008, RAF
Prepares To Receive Fifth C-17 Aircraft.
50
National
Audit Office, Support to
High Intensity Operations, 14 May
2009.
14