Failing Our Troops - Yet Again

Yet again this government and the MOD our failing our troops. New equipment that is not fit for purpose, spares not available, fixes that make things worse and just plain incompetence seem to be the order of the day for MOD Logistics. Apparently only 57% of requests are fulfilled on time.

The Telegraph reports that Edward Leigh, the chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee which oversees the work of the NAO, said that he found it

"surprising" that the MoD still had not sorted out the problems with the supply chain.

He said that it was a "woeful state of affairs" when commanders lost confidence in a new vehicle like the Vector so quickly.

"Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are giving their all, but they don't always have what they need to get the job done," he said.

"We owe it to them to make sure they've got what they need, when they need it. The Ministry of Defence should not rely so much on the famed ability of our armed forces to make do."

Troops in Afghanistan face delays getting vital equipment, says NAO - Telegraph

Lies, Damn Lies and Labour lies that kill

I have noted on a few occasions the problems with the RAF Nimrod and the problems it has experienced culminating in the crash of Nmrod XV230 that cost the lives of 14 servicemen over Afghanistan. We have litany of issues that this crash has brought to our notice but the most applaing is that basically this type of Nimrod has not been airworthy since it was built and in particular changes to allow air refueling caused the Nimrod to be an explosion waiting to happen.

Now The Independent tells us that Bob Ainsworth lied about a report on the Nimrod. Bereaved relatives were not told of 26 faults which inspection found could threaten aircraft's safety

A report into the safety of Britain's ageing fleet of Nimrod spy planes, which a defence minister claimed did not reveal "any significant airworthiness issues", exposed almost 1,500 faults – 26 of which threatened the aircraft's safety.

Eight of the faults posed risks of fire and explosion, the cause of the catastrophic loss in September 2006 of a Nimrod in Afghanistan. Fourteen servicemen died after leaking fuel was ignited by a hot air pipe, causing the aircraft to explode...

... It found that the initial general condition survey – a visual inspection of the plane – revealed 1,495 "observations", 26 of which had "potential airworthiness implications".

These included chafed wiring, damage to an oil pipe and chafed fuel pipes, all of which could have led to a "fire and explosion". A further nine observations were categorised as "serious engineering issues requiring immediate action".

The MoD ordered the rapid rectification of all the problems on the ageing Nimrod fleet. However, 12 of the 18-strong fleet remain grounded while aircrews fix the problem that resulted in the explosion in Afghanistan.

So whilst these repairs were going on Bob Ainsworth the Defence Minister wrote to families of those servicemen killed, stating that the

"report by QinetiQ on the Nimrod has been received and it does not identify any significant airworthiness issues".

This was an utter and complete fabrication. The letter from Mr Ainsworth also made no mention of the fact that the MoD had ordered a thorough strip-down of the Nimrod to see whether there were any deeper, less visible problems.

This is just yet further news of the deep and dirty corruption that stains this government. Bob Ainsworth should resign immediatlely and Gordon will need to issue yet another apology for his stinking corrupt Government.

Defence minister glossed over Nimrod safety fears - Home News, UK - The Independent

Families of Hercules XV179 crash to Sue MOD

Why the families need to take legal action is beyond me. The Coroner has already issued a verdict of unlawful killing and criticised the MoD's decision not to fit "explosive suppressant foam" (ESF) around the plane's fuel tanks, which experts said could have saved their lives. This means that the MOD surely has a legal liability to pay Compensation and as the report says the MOD have already said

"Our deepest sympathies remain with the families of the RAF and Army personnel who lost their lives when hostile fire shot down Hercules XV179 in January 2005," he said.

"We have apologised to the families for the shortcomings identified at the inquest and by our Board of Inquiry, and we have enhanced the protection of our aircraft, including fitting explosive suppressant foam to all Hercules operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The MoD awaits the full details of this legal challenge from the families' lawyers. Compensation is always paid in cases where there is a proven legal liability."

Compensation should be paid without the need for recourse to taking legal action which can only be more distressing for the families of the victims.

My previous posts on the Hercules crash are here.

Families of 10 servicemen who died when RAF Hercules was shot down launch legal action against the Government - Telegraph

Does Gordon have the courage to Ride in "Snatch" Land Rover.

No, is the simple answer, yet he expects our troops to do it. Despite all his bletherings about how much money he has or will spend, the problem is that at the moment there is no choice. Not enough helicopters and not enough of the new vehicles on the ground.

When Gordon or one of his minions travels to to Iraq or Afghanistan, they seldom travel in anything but planes and helicopters, which are what the soldiers would choose as well if they had enough of them.

I attended a families day recently for the Royal Marines and saw the vehicles they would be using on the ground on their current tour. They still included the "snatch" Land Rovers and Vikings that have caused so many deaths.

According to the Telegraph

The recriminations over the resignation of SAS officer Major Sebastian Morley in protest over the Ministry of Defence's "gross negligence" in forcing his troops into the vulnerable vehicles spilled over into Prime Minster's Questions. Gordon Brown was asked by Gerald Howarth, the shadow defence minister, if he accepted that when Major Morley deployed in Snatch he "had no choice whatsoever contrary to all the assurances given to commanders that they would have whatever equipment they require?"
Mr Brown said the Government had "done our best in recent years to provide the equipment that is necessary" spending £1 billion on 1,200 new armoured vehicles.
Families and opposition MPs rounded on Gordon Brown, criticising his evasive answers in the Commons on the day another British soldier was killed in Afghanistan.

Col Bob Stewart, who used the flimsy Snatch during his time as a commander in Bosnia in the 90s, said the Prime Minister's comments that the Government had "done its best" was not enough to prevent the loss of 34 lives

"The Government certainly has not done it best. If they had done their best they would have found other vehicles that would have saved lives. They might have ordered these better vehicles now but its too late for the 34 people soldiers who have already died in Snatch. This problem has been highlighted for many years now but only now have they came round to the idea of addressing it.

Let us not forget this is not a new problem Have a look at this article from June 2006 nearly 2 1/2 years ago on the exact same problem. The BBC reported then:

Our correspondent says 18 British troops have been killed by
roadside bombs while travelling in Land Rovers. It equates to almost a quarter of British soldiers killed in hostile action, Conservative MP Roger Gale told the Commons. "These vehicles are widely recognised to be inadequately armoured to withstand roadside bombs and in consequence are seen as a soft target for insurgents," he said.

Des Browne the multi-tasking Defence Secretary responded

"This is a serious issue. I've asked for a review into this," he said. "There are medium and long-term plans in relation to vehicles and I will be looking in the short-term at what we can do to respond to the situation."

So 30 months and a further 16 lives later our forces are still being forced to use this vehicle. This is government ineptitude on a gross scale.

As usual this government is doing too little too late. It has done this in almost all its aspects of government be it defence, the economy, foreign policy, policing, environment or the NHS. It is incapable of preventing problems and can only apply a sticking plaster on the gushing wounds it has helped create.

The only good thing is that people are now seeing this and will again give Brown and his minions a bloody nose as they vote in Glenrothes, the constituency next door to his own, and return an SNP MP.


Gordon Brown accused of 'evasive' response over SAS deaths - Telegraph

Quentin Davies - An idiot

A request I sent to Malcolm Bruce's office today.

I note that Mr Bruce is down for a Topical Question this afternoon at Defence Questions. As the Next of Kin of a serving Scottish serviceman currently deployed in Afghanistan, can I ask that he might ask a question about the suitability of Quentin Davies for a Ministerial Role at the MOD in the light of his statements this weekend, in particular his statement as follows "Obviously there may be occasions when in retrospect a commander chose the wrong piece of equipment, the wrong vehicle, for the particular threat that the patrol or whatever it was encountered and we had some casualties as a result.", in reference to the use of so-called "Snatch" Land Rovers. The impact this sort of statement has on the morale of those serving at the moment makes this sort of crass idiocy beyond belief.

I realise that Mr Bruce is not my MP but his constituency is the closest to mine and those of many of the service personnel currently serving in Afghanistan who are based at Arbroath.

Yours in hope

Minister accused of 'insulting the memory of soldiers over SAS chief slur' - Telegraph

MoD should 'hang their heads in shame'

Yet again the Coroner has sent a bleak message to the MOD after the death of one of our soldiers. This time he has said to the MOD that they should "Hang their heads in Shame" over the death of Cpl Mark Wright.

Cpl Wright was killed attempting to rescue one of his injured comrades. The Coroner said his death was caused by equipment failure and lack of equipment amongst other reasons. The failures were both large and small, some of which could have been fixed by minimal expenditure.

We have apparently just found 50 bn to bail out our banks surely we can find 2-3 bn to ensure our troops are properly equipped for their jobs.

Coroner: MoD should 'hang their heads in shame' over soldier's death - Telegraph

La La Land - Monday's Report - Gordon saves the World

Today was apparently the day according to some commentators that "our" Gordon saved the world. Let's have a look at what he and his government have achieved today.

1. Spent 37bn of our money on second class banks, who are in a Financial Crisis, much of which was caused by the actions and then inactions by their "saviour" Gordon Brown
   
2. Lost a humiliating vote in the Lords when the 42 day detention plan was defeated by 309 - 118 votes.
   
3. Then released details of the plan to drop 42 days from the anti-terrorism bill and replace it by an emergency one-line bill to be used when Labour deem it correct.
4. Admitted the loss of 1.7 million, yes 1.7 million peoples data. They don't even really know how much, who or what has been lost.
5. A probe by the Speaker of the House of Commons into an allegation that the former Prime Minister deliberately misled the House over exemption of F1 from tobacco advertising bans.

So a great day for Gordon. On any ordinary day anyone of the bottom 4 would have been enough to bring about calls for heads to roll, but today Gordon has saved the world.

I can only wonder what he can achieve in La La land on Tuesday. The Universe beckons. Only a few problems though. The supplies are running out there is no money to buy more and borrowings getting a bit tricky these days without any collateral.

MoD computer hard drive missing

Stunning a year after the major loss of Child Benefit data our government agencies and their contractors are still holding unencrypted data on portable disks that are either easily stolen or mislaid. In this case it is serving soldiers, many of whom will be abroad with little or no access to check if their id's are being used fraudulently.

What are they thinking about. Have they no brain, have they not ready anything about secure holding of data. Data such as this should be encrypted from birth to death and never stored unencrypted in any form for any reason.

It's not that difficult but it does require decent systems and processes. These are obviously missing despite the warnings and reports.

Yet again we have the same problem and yet again still bonus's will be paid and heads will not roll. Shocking and a disgrace to our serving forces.

BBC NEWS | UK | MoD computer hard drive missing

Woman soldier among Afghan dead

This is very worrying and very sad news.

With 9 UK soldiers killed in the past 10 days this is one of the worst periods of the current Afghanistan operation and doubly sad to hear that one of the dead was the first female UK soldier to die in Afghanistan.

UPDATE: I now hear that the three men who died were from 23rd Special Air Service Regiment, which is one of two Territorial Army SAS units. All four soldiers are expected to be named on Thursday after the Ministry of Defence changed its policy about keeping the names of special forces fatalities secret.

The British army spokesman at Camp Bastion, Lt Col Robin Matthews, said:

While the past week or so has indeed been bruising, and no-one would deny that, we must remain fixed on what the strategic imperative is here. That is delivering a better life, and progress, to the Afghan people.All of us have admiration for the work that both male and female British soldiers are doing here and the courage they are showing, acknowledging the risks that are apparent in this particular part of Afghanistan. He said recent events had led soldiers to "reflect on the nature of business here", but they could see the tangible results of their work and were willing to take risks.

My thoughts are with the families and friends of the soldiers who died and the injured soldier.


BBC NEWS | UK | Woman soldier among Afghan dead

New Award for families who have lost Service Personnel

The MOD and Des Browne have launched a new award today for the families of Service personnel who die on operations or as a result of terrorist action whilst on duty.This award will recognise the terrible loss and sacrifice made by the loved ones of Service personnel who die while serving their country.The Chiefs of Staff have recommended this new award and the recommendations have been endorsed by MOD Ministers and by the cross-Government committee on Honours and Awards, and approved by Her Majesty The Queen.
Commenting on the decision, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said:

"Our Armed Forces demonstrate bravery, commitment and professionalism on a daily basis and as a nation we must continue to show our appreciation. It is equally important that we remember their families who play a vital role in supporting their loved ones serving in the Armed Forces. "It is a sad but unavoidable reality that some of our brave Service personnel pay the ultimate sacrifice in the name of their country. That is why my fellow Chiefs of Staff and I believe the time is right to recommend a new award for the families of those who die on operations in recognition of their loss. We will now be giving careful thought to how we can do this in a fitting way."

The exact criteria for the award, how far the award should go back, who will receive it and the design and production of the scroll and emblem are now being looked at by a team specially dedicated to the task. Further details are therefore expected later this year.

This may just be a little thing for the MOD/Government to do, but anything that we do to value the sacrifice made by our forces is worthwhile.

I just hope that this announcement has not been put out today to try and deflect some attention from the continuing problems of this government.

Ministry of Defence | Defence News | History and Honour | New Award for families who have lost Service Personnel

Resigning SAS Brigadier condemns lack of Resources

Brigadier Ed Butler has resigned from the services after 24 years service. He has claimed he was quitting because the pressures of overseas operations was having a ‘negative impact’ on his family.

The Mail on Sunday however says:

However paying tribute to the servicemen and women he fought with, Brig Butler said they operated 'within the well-known constraints and restraints', leading to speculation his departure was due to concern over troops' equipment and conditions.

Leaving the forces because of the negative impact on families is certainly not a new excuse. Many of those leaving just now quote this as their main reason. The forces are so stretched between Iraq, Afghanistan and their other commitments mans that despite assurances many personnel are having to do extended trips away from families without the required breaks.

Take a look at what I wrote back in November on exactly this subject to see that this is not a new issue. Among the complaints then were these.

• Delays to military inquests are a disgrace

• Military housing estates are unsafe and being overrun by immigrant families

• Poor food quality is creating a "pot-noodle and sandwich" culture among junior soldiers

• Work-life balance is an increasing concern

• Soldiers are "going sick" to get out of the Army

• Leave is often cancelled or constrained because of operational overstretch

• Harmony guidelines - the time between operational tours - are becoming meaningless

• The Army is no longer fun

• Fitness in the Army is tailing off and more soldiers are medically downgraded

None of these points have been resolved so we still have large numbers of personnel leaving the forces at the earliest opportunity. When this extends into the senior officers then you know the problem is getting worse rather than better.

This is not helped when you get Ministry of Defence insiders saying a key factor in Brig Butler’s decision was that he had been overlooked for promotion to Director of Special Forces, which would have given him responsibility for all special operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Two years ago, as commander of 3 Para, he criticised Government policy, saying the invasion of Iraq meant Nato troops were diverted from Afghanistan, leaving British soldiers with a much tougher task.

Brig Butler’s decision to tender his resignation comes just days after the head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt sparked a debate over military pay when he said that many of his troops earned less than traffic wardens.

It also follows the resignation last year of Lt Col Stuart Tootal, in protest at the ‘appalling’ and ‘shoddy’ treatment of troops.

Update: Please read this post in the Telegraph's Three Line Whip. The final paragraph by Con Coughlin says it all when speaking about the debt of gratitude we owe our forces

Indeed we do, and the fact that an officer of the calibre and experience of Brig Butler feels compelled to resign his commission at a time of war is a searing indictment of this government’s fundamental inability to understand the basic needs and requirements of our heroic armed forces.

Please contrast these with the actor Rupert Everett highlighted here.

SAS commander who attacked Iraq war quits his post 'over lack of resources for troops' | Mail Online

Injured Troops must get Better Treatment

A British soldier patrols the northern suburbs of Basra. Photograph: Dave Clark/AFP/Getty images

The Telegraph reports that Lieutenant-General Louis Lillywhite, the Surgeon General, has said

Double the number of troops are now surviving serious injuries than would have done during the Falklands conflict. But while they receive high-quality emergency care while still on the frontline, the focus now needs to shift to improving follow-up treatment in British hospitals.

The article continues

Those who are capable of surviving, we are making survive. Three or four months ago that was our main effort. We have now got to turn to the quality of that survival. Adding it was impossible for all injured servicemen to be dealt with in military facilities because of a lack of manpower. There is much to do he admitted.

Apparently the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) now routinely logs every detail of injuries in theatre, from the type of injury and its severity, the length of time the casualty remained in a battlefield and, if deaths occur, whether it was possible to prevent them, given the safety of the scene and the injuries.

The figures show that by mid-February, the Armed Forces had suffered in Afghanistan,

• 87 fatalities
• 114 personnel were seriously or very seriously injured
• 1,133 injured personnel were admitted to field hospitals
• 880 were evacuated to the UK.

In Iraq,

• 212 had died by mid-February
• 212 were seriously or very seriously injured
• 2,695 were admitted to field hospitals
• 1,347 were evacuated to the UK.

These figures are probably the first to be released to the public showing the casualty rates in these two theatres for UK forces.

A journal published by the RAMC reported that of the 76 deaths from trauma related injuries which occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 12 months to April 2007, none could have been prevented.

Statistical evidence from Britain and the US suggested that the death rate from serious injuries was now between 12 to 15 per cent - roughly half the rate which occurred in the Falklands or Vietnam.

Most seriously injured service personnel brought back to the UK are treated in civilian hospitals at first, although many will later be transferred to the military rehabilitation centre at Headley Court in Surrey.

There has been repeated criticism of the standard of care servicemen - most of whom have suffered head injuries, severe burns or lost limbs - receive in the civilian system. At Selly Oak in Birmingham, troops have complained of dirty, mixed wards and of abusive treatment from staff.

Last month, Afghanistan veteran and paratrooper Capt Martin Hewitt said the "truth'' about the continued poor care for troops back in the UK had to be exposed as it was "unacceptable''.

Not only is standard of care unacceptable but the compensation paid to injured troops is also woeful. Take a look at this story on Rogue Gunner's blog, which highlights the case of

A hero British soldier left severely crippled by an Iraqi sniper has been awarded a paltry £35,000 in compensation from the Army.

Jon Le Galloudec, 27, was picked off on the streets of Basra almost a year ago. His brave comrade Rodney Wilson came to his aid and was shot dead in front of him. The bullet that hit Jon ripped through his spine leaving him paralysed in his left leg and from the knee down in his right leg.

Contrast this with the record £2million compensation to an Iraqi teenager paralysed by a stray British bullet or the £484,000 awarded to an RAF typist who injured her thumb.

Currently the NHS and this government do not do enough for out injured personnel. They are now relying on public donations and help to get vital rehabilitation facilities. Have a look at the very worthwhile "Help for Heroes" organisation's website which has now raised over £6m for facilities in just over 8 months or donate via the sidebar link.


Injured troops must get better NHS treatment - Telegraph

Typical Labour Spin - Raising "Toffs"

This is a typical example of the new lows this Labour government can get down to.

The spin here is that kids can be educated like "toffs" at Eton and Marlborough because the MOD is wasteful and pays such "High" allowances to its employees. The charge is that the allowance that is paid to parents is too high and for just a few more thousand they can get their children educated at schools such as Eton and Marlborough.

The maximum allowance is 7,700 pounds per term , which of course sounds rather high but when factored against the average cost of Boarding Schools which is running at over 20,000 pounds per year, suddenly becomes a little bit more understandable. The maximum available to MOD personnel is a lower figure of 5111 pounds per term and is also subject to a minimum 10% parental contribution from parents. Also remember that many of the people receiving this allowance may be "other ranks" it is not restricted to Officers only.

Also as I have just found out the maximum allowance of £7628 is payable only to special needs children. The normal maximum being the £5111 mentioned earlier.

Let's not forget that the people who could receive this allowance could be anyone in the forces who are posted to slightly out of the way places where the type or standard of education available is not suitable for UK children.

I and my brother were among those who were in this situation back in the early seventies when my father was posted to a couple of out of the way overseas locations where there were no longer any suitable local schools. Luckily we were at or just about to go to a State School that had boarding places so my father was relatively little out of pocket for providing our education.

There are currently only about 35 state schools that provide boarding, many of these boardings schools are over-subscribed and may still be selective so the choice is limited particularly when the cost of boarding at these schools tends to be considerably lower than the Eton's and Marlborough's.

The real story here is not the amount of the allowance but that Blunkett and his cohorts in the Labour Cabinet have been told to squeeze the coffers as the money has run out. Spinning this as an attack on Toff's is just part of Labour's typical nasty spin. Maybe the Government will be using the money saved to finance MP's allowances instead, because they are worth much more than the education of service brats.


David Blunkett Calls For Review Of School Grants Paid To Government Employees |Sky News|Politics

Nimrods are Still Safe to fly

Des Browne says Nimrods are safe to fly Beau Bo D'or disagrees and so do I.

Pigs fly over the Ministry of Defence - New animation for Channel 4 News.

Report and link to video report here.




Board of Inquiry- Nimrod MR2 XV230

Today in Parliament Des Browne acknowledged what anybody following the story of the crash of XV230 and the loss of 14 British lives could have told you.

According to the Times

Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, in an extraordinarily contrite statement to the Commons, said: “On behalf of the MoD and the Royal Air Force, I would like to apologise to the House of Commons, and most of all to those who lost their lives, and to their families. I am sorry.”

Gordon Brown sat next to him as he revealed the shortcomings that were at the heart of the worst fatal incident to be suffered by the Armed Forces in either Afghanistan or Iraq. The families of the victims are now due to receive substantial compensation.

Coming after attacks on the Government by five former defence chiefs who complained that the MoD’s budget was inadequate, the Nimrod affair was seized on as another illustration of the Forces having to depend on ageing and unreliable equipment.

The following condemnation from the same article reveals some of the problems.

The most damning condemnation of what had gone wrong in the general maintenance of the Nimrod fleet came from Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader, Commander-in-Chief Air Command. Sir Clive said: “I conclude that the loss of XV230 and, far more importantly, of the 14 Service personnel who were aboard, resulted from shortcomings in the application of the processes for assuring airworthiness and safe operation of the Nimrod.”

The attached link takes you to the full report of the Board of Inquiry into the loss of Nimrod MR2 XV230 and the loss of 14 British Lives.

A quick scan of the report brings out that the likely cause of the crash was a fuel leak after air-to-air refueling and the subsequent ignition of this fuel by a pipe at above 400 degrees centigrade. What is staggering is that despite a seven fold increase in the number of fuel leaks and general knowledge of this problem no action had been taken to properly sort out the problem.

The graph shown here shows the number of leaks per 1000 flying hours and show that the rate increased from about 0.5/1000 hrs in 1984 up to 3.5 in 2006. This was apparently missed as being a problem and was not fully investigated.

A brief report is available here with the 33 recommendations it makes.

Michael Smith writing in his Blog in the Times has the following

The scandal of the deaths of 14 servicemen on board Nimrod XV230 continues. I am bound to say that I believed long ago that there couldn't be any more bad information coming out. But the release under the Freedom of Information Act of a report by QinetiQ, the defence company, on the extent of the leaks on board the Nimrod fleet and in particular the six aircraft flying over Afghanistan and Iraq simply beggars belief. The leaks represented a "critical" structural problem. Civilian contractors at RAF Kinloss were not only not required to pass on the substantial information they had on the leaks and how to deal with them to the Integrated Project Team which oversees how the Nimrod fleets is run, they were not required to tell the RAF technicians working on the aircraft at Kinloss that the Air Publications they were working to were out-of-date and of "little, if any, value". The problems with the leaks dated back ten years but were exacerbated by the "intense" schedule flown by the six Nimrods equipped with special video surveillance equipment fed back directly to commanders on the ground. Since these leaks were largely being caused by pressure from the aircraft's air-to-air refuelling system, never part of its original equipment and fitted as an emergency measure during the Falklands Conflict, they could not be replicated on the ground. "QinetiQ were unable to establish a clear impression of how these non-detected leaks are addressed," the report said. Or put another way, they couldn't be found so they couldn't be fixed. But so essential was the real-time video surveillance equipment to troops on the ground that the RAF had to keep the aircraft in the air quite literally, and tragically, at all costs.

The Times reports here on the release today of the report.

All I can do is express my sympathies to the relatives of the dead and hope that lessons are learned, in particular by this Government and the MOD, that penny-pinching results in the death of our Armed Forces. Let us hope that Des Browne did not lie when questioned in the house about the 15bn defence cuts that have been rumoured.

Ministry of Defence | About Defence | BOI Nimrod MR2 XV230

Worker reveals 'Nimrod problems'

This my 500th post on this blog and it's probably on the subject closest to my heart, the armed forces and in particular the RAF.

Tomorrow will see the publication of a report into a Nimrod crash in Afghanistan which killed 14 Military Personnel last year. It is likely to be bad reading for those in the RAF, MOD and this callous government. It will also confirm the fears of the relatives that their loved ones died because of known and fixable problems.

I have blogged before on the problems and still cannot believe that they have not been sorted out or workarounds put in place. The replacement for the Nimrod is still probably 5 years away and guess what it will be yet another Nimrod still using the current airframes.

This report reveals

An insider at Kinloss said that fuel leaks among the fleet were "perpetual".

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment ahead of the Board of Inquiry findings on Tuesday.

The BBC has learned that the aircraft which crashed in Afghanistan was being worked hard and flying sometimes twice a day.

It also had seven fuel leaks on board which were not due to be fixed for several months.

Also having watched Newsnight tonight we were informed by an expert that basically the Nimrod is not airworthy and that the only reason it is flying is for operational reasons to support the troops in Afghanistan. Whilst I can understand that reasoning, the lack of money being spent to sort out the problem is nothing less than criminal.

Just listened to John Nicol on Radio 4 confirming that basically these planes would be grounded if there were not urgent operational reasons for keeping them flying. This is another example of where we are breaking the Military Covenant. Nowhere else would we put up with sort of situation and ask people to put their lives on the line.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Worker reveals 'Nimrod problems'

MOD and its ‘Co-operation’ in Inquests

Please read the blog entry by Beau Bo D'or and see the image.

MOD and its ‘Co-operation’ in Inquests at Beau Bo D’Or

Coroner could call MoD minister

I see the defence secretary may be called to give evidence at the inquest into an RAF plane crash in Iraq which killed 10 UK servicemen. One problem with this is that the Defence Secretary in question is unlikely to be:-

• The current one who is likely to go before the inquest starts.
• May not even be from the same party judging by the time inquests are taking to start.

As I have mentioned before the fact that the RAF's Hercules were not (and maybe still all aren't) fitted with explosive suppressant foam (ESF) is a disgrace and was a disaster waiting to happen.

BBC NEWS | UK | Coroner could call MoD minister

RAF Nimrod puts out Mayday call after 'major fuel leak' - Times Online

The Nimrod was never designed to conduct air-to-air refuelling

Very worrying indeed that this should occur.

Update 9th Nov at 18:02: I see that nearly 48 hours after this story was broken it has now become the top news article on the BBC online news. The Times meanwhile has the following article and also reports the Nimrod could not send out a Mayday message as they could not get air traffic controllers to hear his mayday call.

Text of RAF Incident Report

A. AIR INCIDENT SER KAF/089/07(902/31/07 AND KINLOSS 102/07)

B. NIMROD MR2, XV235

J. DURING AR A FUEL SPRAY WAS OBSERVED IN THE BOMB BAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DUE TO IN-FLIGHT REFUEL FROM A TRISTAR. THE JOIN AND INITIAL CONTACT WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE JOIN WAS MADE AT 260KTS AND BOTH AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO 270KTS BEFORE THE NIMROD WAS CLEARED ASTERN.

THE AIRCRAFT FUEL LOAD ON CONTACT WAS 32800 LBS. PRIOR TO CONTACT THE 4 TANK REFUEL COCKS WERE OPEN. WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED ON THE ENGINEERS REFUEL PANEL AND BOTH 2 AND 3 TANK REFUEL COCKS WERE OPENED. A SINGLE CONTACT WAS MADE AND THE FUEL REMAINED FLOWING THROUGHOUT. SHORTLY AFTER CONTACT WAS MADE THE ENGINEERS INTERCOM FAILED AND HE HAD TO CHANGE HEADSET LEADS. THE FIRST 5000 LBS OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED ON THE ENGINEERS GAUGES AND CONFIRMED WITH THE TRISTAR CREW. THE CREW THEN REQUESTED THAT THE TRISTAR CREW TURN ON THEIR CARTER PUMP. THERE WAS A SMALL PRESSURE RISE AND THE PRESSURE NEVER EXCEEDED 35 PSI. APPROXIMATELY 20 SECONDS AFTER REQUESTING THE CARTER PUMP ON, THE CREW MEMBER WHO WAS MONITORING THE BOMB BAY THROUGH THE PERISCOPE REPORTED FUEL SPRAYING INTO THE BOMB BAY AND FLUID LYING ON THE BOMB DOORS. THE BOMB BAY PERISCOPE WAS MANNED AS THIS WAS THE FIRST AR FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT HAD UNDERTAKEN SINCE AN FRS COUPLING CHANGE IN OCT 07. THE CREW MEMBER AND CAPTAIN HAD DISCUSSED THIS PRE FLIGHT AND HAD IDENTIFIED THE AREA OF THE NEW FRS COUPLING.

AN IMMEDIATE BREAKAWAY WAS CARRIED OUT AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TOWARDS KANDAHAR AIRFIELD. THE REFUEL COCKS REMAINED OPEN UNTIL PRESSURE HAD DISSIPATED ON THE ENGINEERS PANEL. A MAYDAY WAS DECLARED ON THE ATC FREQUENCY IN USE, THESE CALLS WERE NOT ANSWERED AND THE TRISTAR CREWS RELAYED. A FURTHER CALL WAS MADE DECLARING THE INTENTION TO LAND AT KANDAHAR AIRFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR AN UNINTERRUPTED VFR APPROACH AT KANDAHAR THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. WHILE EXITING THE RUNWAY A REPORT OF A FUEL SMELL WAS MADE BY THE TAC CREW AND THE AIRCRAFT EVACUATION DRILL WAS CARRIED OUT. ON ENTERING THE BOMB BAY 20 MINUTES AFTER LANDING THE BOMB BAY DOORS WERE OBSERVED TO BE WET WITH FUEL AND THE BOMB BAY HEATING MIXING CHAMBER CLADDING WAS SOAKED WITH FUEL. FUEL WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON THE PIPEWORK ON THE ROOF OF THE BOMB BAY IN THE AREA OF THE MIXING CHAMBER.

K. (1) UNABLE TO REPLICATE REPORTED AIRBORNE OCCURRENCE UTILISING FULL SUITE OF CURRENT GROUND TESTING PROCEDURES.

(2) CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ASSESSED AS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL

CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PREVAILING AMBIENT AIRBORNE ENVIRONMENT

(3) REFUEL CARRIED OUT THROUGH AAR PROBE ENDEAVOURING TO REPLICATE

REPORTED FLIGHT CONDITIONS. MAX FUEL PRESSURE OF 50 PSI ACHIEVED AND

MAINTAINED FOR ?5 MINUTES ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ONE MINOR WEEP

IDENTIFIED FROM COUPLING PREVIOUSLY REPORTED UNDER GROUND OCCURRENCE

REPORT 902/23/07 ON THIS AIRFRAME. WEEP ELIMINATED BY RE-TIGHTENING OF COUPLING. LEAK RATE OF ?1 DRIP PER MINUTE DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR

REPORTED AIRBORNE OCCURRENCE.

L. TF

M. CAT 1.

N. ON COMPLETION OF A FINAL APPLICATION OF GROUND PRESSUR TESTING

DURING DAYLIGHT THERE WERE NO FAULTS/LEAKS APPARENT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY NITROGEN PURGING OF REFUEL GALLERY. GIVEN THAT COMMON AAR AND GROUND REFUEL GALLERY IS ISOLATED AND SEPARATE FROM MAIN FUEL FEED SYSTEM AND REMAINS UN-PRESSURISED DURING FLIGHT CONDITIONS AIRCRAFT HAS NOW BEEN RELEASED FOR RETURN FERRY FLIGHT UNDER NON-AAR OPERATIONS TO DOB. FUEL SEALS AND PIPES REMAIN UNDISTURBED TO ALLOW POTENTIAL FAULT DIAGNOSIS (BEYOND CURRENT RTI PROCEDURES) TO BE UNDERTAKEN UNDER DIRECTION OF IPT. RECOMMENDATION THAT DETAILED INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS BE UNDERTAKEN TO POSITIVELY DETERMINE THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND CONDITIONS THAT ARE PREVALENT UNDER AAR FLIGHT CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A MORE REPRESENTATIVE GROUND TESTING PROCEDURE FOR CONDITIONS THAT SEEM TO APPEAR ONLY WHILST AIRBORNE.

RAF Nimrod puts out Mayday call after 'major fuel leak' - Times Online

3000 Troops Home By Christmas - Or Maybe Not

(Image courtesy of Rogue Gunner)

According to "informed defence" sources the Herald reports that 3,000 troops will be coming home from Iraq before Christmas.

I wonder if they have spoken to the opposing forces in Basra who now appear to be starting on all out war in the city and the surrounding areas. According to the Independent

A surge in violence in Basra has raised the prospect of British troops having to go back into the city if the security situation deteriorates further.
British forces, who withdrew from their last remaining base in Basra City earlier this month, remain officially in charge of security in the area and UK commanders have said that they are ready to step back in if necessary with a battlegroup, the Royal Welsh with Challenger tanks, on standby for such an eventuality.

Perhaps the withdrawal of troops from Iraq is more to do with saving money at the MOD who are being forced by the government to give troops a £140 rebate on their Council tax bills for a six month tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

By withdrawing early they might be able to save some of this. This rebate by the government of £140 was of course announced by them as if it was NEW money but as often occurs with Labour it is in fact OLD money just being redirected.

The money for this rebate will have to be taken from the MOD budget which is already in short supply supplying our troops with the essentials like ammunition, helicopters, clothing, armour and the likes along with other sundry items like decent housing.

Of course if you actually look at the troops who are based in Iraq and Afghanistan you'll find that few will actually get the rebate as they don't pay council tax, as such, as they don't own/rent property in the UK.

All in all another piece of Labour Spin to cover up their inadequacies.


3000 Troops Could Start Coming Home From Iraq By Christmas (from The Herald )