§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RB44 Army light vehicles have been purchased; what was the total cost; and when they became operational.
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department purchased 846 RB44 vehicles from Reynolds Broughton Ltd. at an approximate cost of £24,000,000. First deployment was made in May 1992.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what technical and operational concerns resulted from the trials of the RB44 Army light vehicle at Larkhill; what actions were taken to remedy them; and how much it cost;
(2) what technical and operational difficulties his Department has found with the RB44 Army light vehicle during its operational service;
(3) what plans his Department has for the RB44 Army light vehicle.
§ Mr. FreemanDuring the initial operational deployment to Larkhill a problem associated with the handling of the vehicles while braking was experienced. The manufacturer proposed and demonstrated a modification which was accepted by my Department. The modification was incorporated at the manufacturer's expense. Following acceptance into service there have been further technical problems of a similar nature which are being investigated by my Department in conjunction with the manufacturer. All vehicles have been taken out of service until the problem has been rectified.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Bosnia have involved the RB44; and what was the cause of these accidents.
§ Mr. SoamesSince its introduction into service, 25 accidents have been reported which have involved the RB44—22 in the UK, two in Bosnia and one in Germany.
Except for one in Bosnia, where a vehicle overturned on a greasy road, all the accidents were of a minor "road traffic" nature. In seven cases, the MOD driver was not at fault, the other 17 can be attributed to driver error.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current position in relation to the RB44 Army light vehicles at Larkhill.
§ Mr. SoamesThere are 33 RB44s currently located at Larkhill. They were issued to meet the approved requirements of the two Royal Artillery units stationed there.
The vehicles are currently out of use while a steering under braking defect is investigated and are subject to appropriate maintenance to ensure they do not deteriorate.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the Army light vehicle capability; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SoamesThe Army light vehicle fleet is currently able to meet all its tasks. As a result of "Options for Change", all units have had their vehicle requirements scrutinised to ensure that they are suitable for the units' new roles. A review of future requirements and developments in the light fleet area is currently being undertaken by my Department.
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