Select Committee on Defence Minutes of Evidence



Examination of witnesses (Questions 280 - 289)

WEDNESDAY 22 MARCH 2000

VICE ADMIRAL SIR IAN GARNETT, AIR COMMODORE VAUGHAN MORRIS, COMMANDER TOM HERMAN OBE, COMMANDER RICHARD HAWKINS and AIR COMMODORE GLENN TORPY

Mr Cann

  280. As part of NATO?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) As part of NATO.

  Dr Lewis: When was the plan formally proposed?

  Chairman: We dare not to go back over this again, interesting though it is.

Dr Lewis

  281. What do you think were the greatest problems that you faced in orchestrating the United Kingdom involvement in the conduct of the air campaign?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) In retrospect, there were not any great problems. We were part of a NATO operation, we supplied some very effective equipment and well trained people. We have discussed the weapons, we have discussed the difficulty of attacking some targets. There were bound to be some problems on a day-to-day basis, but they were not so significant that they can stand up as being great problems at this stage.

  282. Was there any particular short-coming or deficiency that you would single out as most requiring remedial action?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) We have discussed some of these already. A greater ISTAR capability, greater air-to-air refuelling capability, more secure communications, greater ability to drop precision weapons by air in all weathers. All these have been addressed.

  283. When you are drawing up courses for staff officers in the future, based on your experiences, would you say, as we have heard in the past, that there were four factors responsible for the victory, namely, air, cohesion of the alliance, the possibility eventually of a ground threat and the Russian role, or would you say, as some commentators have said, inside and outside the services, that this was a change from all historical experience - that this was the first case of a campaign being won by air power alone?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) Fortunately I do not have to draw up courses for staff officers. I do not have to address that. As a joint commander I am fully aware that whatever we do in operations ends up employing all elements of our forces, some to a greater degree than others, depending on the circumstances.

  284. That is a good way of avoiding answering the question. Is it your opinion that this was the first case in history of a campaign won by air power alone or not?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) I do not think so, no.

Chairman

  285. The last question, and this really is a career terminating question, Admiral, if you get this wrong you really will be into education. Are you personally satisfied that the military strategy adopted by NATO to coerce the Serb Government into compliance with the UN resolutions was soundly based and well chosen?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) It reflected the political realities of the alliance.

  286. If you were fighting another war, would you do the next one the same as the last one?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) I do not think you can say that, it depends on the circumstances. No war is necessarily going to be like the last one, and the next one is not going to be like this one.

  287. We can avoid some of the worst mistakes perhaps?
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) Out of every conflict comes lots of lessons.

  288. Do you think that we need to revise our doctrine for involvement in crises of this sort?

  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) I am sure it needs to be revised. The degree to which it needs to be revised, I do not know, because I do not know the doctrine any more, although I use it. Something that I know they are doing is what we did, looking at the doctrine we have today and seeing where it might need to be adapted as a result of the lessons that we have learned.

  289. Perhaps you can ask them to let us know when it is finished. We would like to come and listen to it.
  (Vice Admiral Sir Ian Garnett) It will be my pleasure.

  Chairman: Thank you very much. I appreciate your answers. You were very diplomatic with some and very awkward with others, but we will come back to you with additional questions and we will come back to you with questions which we think will be helpful to have further amplification upon. Gentlemen, thank you very much.


 
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