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Safety Report Says Equipment Used by Britain's Army Not Up to Standards

Aired August 02, 2002 - 12:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From boots to tanks, a new safety report about equipment used by Britain's army has some up in arms. The unfavorable reports on the equipment can't stand up to desert warfare.

Reporter Bill Neely with ITV has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL NEELY, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): It was a huge exercise involving 22,000 troops and 8,000 vehicles, And It threw up huge problems. Tanks, tents, boots, battlefield guns, none of them worked properly. Worst of all was Britain's key tank, the Challenger Two. Fine desert dust clogged them so badly, that many broke down after just four hours.

The Klansmen (ph) radio system was judged incapable. Tank crews had to get out and hand signal to each other instead. In Kosovo, they had to use mobile phones.

One of the army's big guns so badly affected by the heat it could only operate at night. One of them caught fire. And the troops main rifle often jammed.

The report's author say very serious lessons need to be learned.

DAVID CLARKE, NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE: One of the key things was that some of the equipment didn't work well in the hot and dusty conditions. And obviously, one of the main issues in the report, points up the fact that if we want our people to be deployed anywhere in the world, they have to have the equipment to be able to do that.

NEELY: Half the helicopter fleet and half the tanks had to be grounded, but most embarrassing was that Army boots simply melted and fell apart in the heat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 400 years, we haven't had good boots in the British army. This seems to be quite ridiculous. And it's the same with the clothing. We ought to have the things that make people walk, fight on the battlefield in safety. The equipment, that can always be rectified. reporter:

NEELY: So yes, Britain can deploy a huge force, but as it contemplates action against Iraq, this report is a wakeup call.

Bill Neely, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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