HC Deb 10 May 1994 vol 243 cc131-2W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list all of the sources of the data that he uses to assess the operational capability of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how he measures the operational capability of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hanley

Central assessments of operational capability are informed by both quantitative data and military judgment reported up the chain of command; to list all the original souces could be done only at disproportionate cost. The various quantitative indicators include manning levels, the operational availability of key equipment, the level of warstocks and the recent collective training achieved by headquarters and units. In addition, operational analysis, or war-gaming, can be used to measure the likely operational effectiveness of forces earmarked for contingent military tasks.

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