§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the failure rate was of Clansman radios on Challenger II main battle tanks during exercise Saif Sareea 2 in Oman; [13118]
(2) what the failure rate was of army radios during Exercise Saif Sareea 2 in Oman; and if he will make a statement. [13119]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 7 November 2001]: The limitations of the Clansman radio are well known, hence the current action on procuring a replacement. Information on failure rates of individual radios employed during Exercise Saif Sareea 2 is not available. But indications are that Clansman performed somewhat better than we might have expected during Saif Sareea 2, despite the harsh environmental conditions experienced during the exercise.