Army's radios 'unfit for war'

The Army's ageing radios broke down at such a spectacular rate on the recent exercise in Oman that commanders have questioned whether any of the UK's tank units could sustain themselves in war.

The Clansman radio was used in the Falklands campaign nearly 20 years ago, and proved inadequate when British troops moved into Kosovo two years ago. A replacement, part of the Bowman project, is not due in service for another year. No fewer than 85 radios in vehicles and tanks broke down, according to reports from Exercise Saif Sarrea 2 (Swift Sword), which is now drawing to a close.

One tank commander said: "If I was going to spend a week on operations in my tank, I would need at least three or four radios, perhaps up to 10 to be confident."

The exercise concluded with a spectacular tank battle involving British Challenger 2s of the 4th Armoured Brigade and Challenger 2s of the Omani Army.

The Omani tanks made their objective, but some 30 Challenger 2s of the 4th Armoured Brigade did not. The Government has decided to economise and not provide the filters for the engine air intakes for the British tanks. "I came across a sergeant major following the tanks in a Land Rover, dishing out all the filters he could spare," said a member of a parliamentary delegation visiting the exercise.

"It was all a bit of a shambles." The Omani tanks had been converted for the desert and performed well, according to the exercise controllers.

"As an exercise in defence diplomacy with the Omanis, the exercise was a brilliant success," said a senior British officer involved. "But militarily we have got a lot to learn. The exercise showed some huge gaps in our capability, which we've got to put right before we go to war."