Examination of Witness (Questions 360-379)
AIR MARSHAL
BRIAN BURRIDGE
CBE
11 JUNE 2003
Q360 Mr Jones: What
about the issue of hand grenades and the Swiss Government?
Air Marshal Burridge:
I am not aware of that.
Q361 Mr Jones: At
all?
Air Marshal Burridge:
No.
Q362 Mr Jones: Could
you drop us a note?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Nobody in the command chain below me said they were inadequately
supplied with hand grenades. There could be a logistic stocking
issue, but as far as combat was concerned in theatre that was
not an issue which was raised.
Q363 Mr Jones: For
the purposes of our inquiry, could you drop us a note to answer
some of these points for us?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Yes; sure.
Q364 Jim Knight: He
said that we did not have sufficient hand grenades and our hand
grenades were ordered on a just-in-time basis from a Swiss company.
The Swiss Government decided it would not allow the export of
hand grenades to soldiers who were going to fight a war. Presumably
you can only have them in Switzerland if you are not going to
fight a war.
Air Marshal Burridge:
Okay, we will provide you with a note.
Q365 Chairman: On
the problems as well of ordering desert clothing from Romania,
Indonesia and body armour from South Africa and Belgium. This
was the evidence we had last week and if you cannot supply a note,
obviously we will get back later to somebody who was closer to
this.
Air Marshal Burridge:
They are very legitimate questions, but really for someone in
the logistic trail.
Q366 Chairman: Despite
your position we cannot land every problem on your shoulders.
Air Marshal Burridge:
Thank you, Chairman.
Q367 Mr Hancock: Were
you satisfied that when troops were in harm's way they were given
the maximum possible protection that was available to front line
soldiers in the British Army?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Yes, because no commander told me otherwise and they would have.
Q368 Mr Hancock: You
are absolutely sure about that.
Air Marshal Burridge:
No commander told me otherwise.
Q369 Mr Hancock: So
no front line British soldiers were not properly equipped with
flak jackets and the correct ceramics during this campaign.
Air Marshal Burridge:
No, I cannot say that.
Q370 Mr Hancock: None
of your subordinates brought to your attention the fact that they
did not have that. Your superior had given a direct order that
no British forces should be engaging the enemy without that protection.
Air Marshal Burridge:
No commander in the field raised that issue up the command chain
and they would have done.
Q371 Mr Hancock: And
since the war it has not been raised with you as a problem.
Air Marshal Burridge:
No.
Q372 Mr Howarth: Were
any items provided by the United States or did the United States
depend on us for any logistic support? We know that they provided
rations and lavatory paper at one point, but I think we take the
view of General Jackson on that one. Are there more significant
items which they provided?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Blue force tracking, the kits that fit to vehicles as part of
combat identification. I cannot say that we did not share weapons
or ammunition at some point, I simply do not know. Blue force
tracking would be the one item I would highlight. Some of our
CIS, because they provided us with some XNET terminals and we
provided some of our own. What did we provide for them in terms
of equipment? We assisted them logistically in moving fuel and
things. I do not know whose fuel it was we were moving.
Q373 Mr Howarth: But
we did the moving?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Yes.
Q374 Mr Howarth: Because
we are quite good at that.
Air Marshal Burridge:
Yes.
Q375 Mr Howarth: On
the blue force tracking which is the kit which enables the identification
of friend or foe, you know that has been a big issue here. Are
you confident that the kit which was then made available at the
last minute is now going to be provided across our armed forced?
Air Marshal Burridge:
I do not know that; I simply do not know. I do not control the
equipment programme.
Q376 Mr Howarth: You
were the commander when we took blue on blue and you must feel,
on behalf of your men, a sense of disappointment, if not anger,
that we sustained such a high proportion of our casualties to
blue on blue. Are you not therefore making a very strong recommendation
to those responsible for the dishing out of the kit that this
kit be provided PDQ?
Air Marshal Burridge:
What I feel and what I know are different things. I do not know
what priority currently, on day three back at work, this is being
given. What I feel is that it is very important, but technology
is not all of it. What I would like people to understand, not
only this Committee but also those engaged in providing solutions,
is that there is a balance here. Technology provides a greater
and greater chance of avoiding these tragic sorts of accidents,
but technology alone will not work. There has to be training,
there have to be procedures, etc. That same technology is allowing
us to drive our tempo up. This is the first operation that I characterise
as post-modern warfare. The degree and speed of manoeuvre and
the tempo that was achieved was startling and it is technology
which allows us to do that. If the tempo goes up, the risk of
blue on blue goes up. So technology is driving both sides of these
scales. It is important that people understand that and do not
think we will arrive at a technological solution and that will
be that. It will not be. Yes, I feel strongly about these aspects.
Q377 Chairman: Were
there any occasions where the late arrival of equipment compelled
you to delay or cancel operations?
Air Marshal Burridge:
No, but it was close.
Q378 Chairman: Could
you tell us which?
Air Marshal Burridge:
Challenger 2. A magnificent effort by Alvis-Vickers in modifying
Challenger 2s, really very good indeed. The juxtaposition of the
UN discussion and what that meant for time lines fortuitously
met the technical and engineering time line for Challenger 2.
By the time we were ready to go, we had four battle groups all
modified.
Q379 Chairman: That
was immensely helpful to the Americans in the circumstances, because
our percentage of heavy armour was much more significant.
Air Marshal Burridge:
Indeed.
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