§ Lord Vivianasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to bring Challenger 2 tanks up to the required performance for desert conditions; and whether they will modify the tanks to meet these requirements or remodel the main engine compartment based on the Omani Challenger 2 tanks. [HL1248]
§ Lord BachI refer the noble Lord to the Answer given in another place by my honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence on 5 November 2001 (Official Report, cols. 24W–25W) to the honourable Member for New Forest West (Mr Swayne), in which he outlined the options that have been investigated for the desertisation of Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Any decision on desertisation will have to take into account a number of issues, including requirement, timeframe, costs and the number of Challenger 2 tanks that might be involved. All of these factors are currently under consideration and a decision has yet to be made.