6.3 |
Military equipment (pre-conflict)
addressing
CBRN defence capabilities for large scale deployments and ensuring
wider
force
structure work took account of CBRN issues.
536.
General Sir
Michael Walker became Chief of the Defence Staff in May
2003.
On
22 March 2004, his Private Office replied to questions from
Mr Ingram about the
availability
of NBC filters for armoured vehicles prior to the
invasion.271
The
advice
confirmed
that the distribution of NBC filter stocks was authorised on
27 January
2003, but
that the filters were not dispatched until 13 March and
arrived in theatre
on
17 March. The operation commenced two days later and, as 1
(UK) Div was
conducting its
final battle preparation, the plans to move the stocks forward
to
units were not
feasible: “NBC filters were a casualty of compressed planning
and
deployment
timelines.”
537.
Mr Ingram’s
Private Office replied on 26 March that Mr Ingram’s view
was:
“… given
the prominence of the NBC threat in the run up to Op TELIC and
the
understandable
public attention and criticism [sic] the shortage of AFV NBC
filters
subsequently,
his view is that a worrying picture is beginning to emerge.
His
perception
that the shortages cannot be attributed solely to poor asset
tracking
appears to
be well founded.”272
538.
A number of
post-operation tour reports and lessons learned
exercises
found fault
with the provision of NBC equipment.
539.
The DOC
Operation TELIC report on 17 October 2003 stated:
“Despite
the lessons from Op GRANBY (the first Gulf War), much last minute
work
was
required to achieve acceptable levels of preparedness for
operations in a
possible
CBRN environment.”273
540.
In the 7
Armoured Brigade post-operation tour report, Brig Binns highlighted
that
NBC filters
for the Challenger 2 tanks “simply never arrived”.274
541.
In an Army
interview about lessons learned in Iraq on 8 January 2004, Maj
Gen
Brims
said:
“…having to
redistribute body armour and NBC kit amongst the troops… left a
pretty
271
Minute
MA/CDS to MA/Min(AF), 22 March 2004, ‘NBC Filters for Armoured
Fighting Vehicles (AFVs)
on Operation
TELIC’.
272
Minute
MA/Min(AF) to MA/CDS, 26 March 2004, ‘NBC filters for Armoured
Fighting Vehicle (AFVs)
on Operation
TELIC’.
273
Report DOC,
17 October 2003, ‘Operation TELIC: Lessons
Study’.
274
Report,
6 June 2003, ‘7th Armoured Brigade Post Operation Report &
Lessons Report Operation
TELIC’.
275
Report
[unattributed], 8 January 2004, ‘Interview
Profoma’.
87