§ Lord Hardy of Wathasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps are being taken in connection with reports in the media suggesting that the standard rifle and the Challenger tanks are of unsatisfactory quality. [HL1412]
§ Lord BachThe standard assault rifle issued to United Kingdom Armed Forces is the Small Arms (SA) 80. The SA80 modification programme has significantly improved the reliability and performance124WA of the weapon. Extensive trials carried out across all climatic conditions before the modified weapon was introduced, and more recent trials and demonstrations in Afghanistan and Oman, have established the weapon is reliable, accurate and can be maintained in an operational environment.
Challenger 2 is a world-class battle-winning tank. There were no major mechanical problems with Challenger 2 tanks on Exercise Saif Sareea II, but the exceptionally dusty conditions in Oman resulted in higher use of air filters than had originally been planned for. As a result of the lessons identified during the exercise, modifications to improve the performance of the tank in desert conditions are under way.