6.3 |
Military equipment (pre-conflict)
384.
The update
also stated:
•
Further to
ACM Bagnall’s note earlier that day, PJHQ had set up a
“comprehensive
system to review, prioritise and then move UOR equipment
into
theatre”
once delivery dates were known by industry.
•
New
respirator testing procedures had been introduced to ensure that
deployed
personnel
would “be adequately protected” after trials found that a
proportion of
respirators
did not fit properly.
•
There was a
shortfall of 15,000 ComboPens out of a total requirement
for
135,000,
but “every effort” was being made to procure more and “re-life
existing
stock”.
•
1,000
additional Challenger 2 filters were being procured to support
predicted
operation
activity.
•
A plan had
been produced for the installation of Combat ID equipment
into
selected
vehicles.
•
The 96
fully modified battlefield ambulances were expected to be
available
for
shipping by “13/14 March”. There were currently only 24 air
conditioned
ambulances
in theatre.
•
The
delivery of desert clothing, including ECBA covers, was progressing
well.
385.
By the end
of February, there were “significant” and “severe” shortfalls
in
parts of
the UK’s NBC protective capability.
386.
The Chiefs
of Staff were told that that reflected the compressed
timescales
for
planning.
387.
The Chiefs of
Staff received an update on access to CBRN equipment and
NBC
protection
on 28 February.190
The paper
reported “significant” and “severe” shortfalls in
a number of
NBC areas including the availability of Nerve Agent Immobilised
Enzyme
Alarm
Detectors (NAIAD), Residual Vapour Detectors (RVD) and NBC water
bottle tops.
There was,
however, a “marked improvement” in ComboPen
availability.
“The
compressed timescales available to procure UORs necessarily
introduced risk
in
achieving earliest possible delivery of all equipments … some
shortfalls are now
being
exposed.”
389.
Lord Bach
received the latest equipment update on the same day, reporting
that
173
equipment UORs (totalling “some £487m”) and £320m of operational
sustainability
requirements
had been approved.191
190
Minute
DJW/NBC1 to COSSEC, 28 February 2003, ‘Iraq Contingency
Planning – Equipment Issues’.
191
Minute
DCDS(EC) to PS/Minister(DP), 28 February 2003, ‘Iraq: Op TELIC
UORs’.
61