6.3 |
Military equipment (pre-conflict)
242.
Lt Gen
Pigott produced an update on UORs for the Chiefs of Staff on
21 October.116
Tranche 1
UORs were being implemented: two UORs had been approved so far and
a
further 64
USURs117
had been
formally endorsed by PJHQ and the Director of Special
Forces
(DSF).
243.
Lt Gen
Pigott wrote that a working group had been established to inform
the Chiefs
on the
risks associated of operating in a CBRN environment. The provision
of COLPRO
was being
reviewed but detailed checks on armoured vehicle NBC filter packs
was not
possible
under the current visibility guidelines. Routine appraisals were
being carried out
and checks
were being incorporated into those.
244.
Where there
was no ambiguity about the purpose of the requirement,
Mr Hoon
was to be
consulted before industry was approached. The measures that fell
into this
category
included:
•
weapons
stocks;
•
satellite
communications technology;
•
fuel
distribution and water carriage systems;
•
ECBA;
•
COLPRO for
NBC attacks, including antibiotics for all personnel which
was
considered
essential; and
•
desert
clothing.
245.
The Chiefs of
Staff approved Lt Gen Pigott’s paper at their meeting on
28 October
and ACM
Bagnall was directed to “take the work forward”.118
246.
The minutes do
not record any reference to specific UORs or equipment
capabilities
raised in Lt Gen Pigott’s minute.
247.
On
29 October, Major General David Richards, Assistant Chief of
the General Staff
(ACGS),
wrote to Lt Gen Pigott about his paper of 21 October,
stating that he was:
“… content
to endorse the recommendations within the paper subject to
the
requirement
to increase the pace at which we address the UORs concerning
NBC
COLPRO and
decontamination. There is a significant delta between current
UORs
and our
anticipated requirement which needs urgent work.”119
248.
Between
31 October and the middle of December 2002, Ministerial
decisions
and
military planning and preparations were based on advice that the
deployment
116
Minute
DCDS(C) to COS, 21 October 2002, ‘Iraq Contingency Planning –
Urgent Operational
Requirements
and Related Funding Issues’.
117
Urgent
Statement of User Requests (USURs) are raised when there is a
capability gap that needs
addressing
by the procurement of new equipment. That process is explained in
detail in Section 14.1.
118
Minutes,
28 October 2002, Chiefs of Staff meeting.
119
Minute ACGS
to MA1/DCDS(C), 29 October 2002, ‘Iraq Contingency Planning –
Urgent Operational
Requirements
and Related Funding Issues’.
37