§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence What recent measures the Royal Marines have adopted to avoid friendly fire incidents by (a) UK and (b) allied forces.
§ Mr. IngramAs stated in the answer given on 18 December 2002,Official Report, column 807W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch), tactics, techniques and procedures, situational awareness and target identification complement each other and form a triad of measures designed to achieve Combat Identification and minimise the risk of fratricide. In relation to possible operations in the Gulf, we are working closely with allies to establish robust arrangements on Combat Identification that maximise interoperability, and we will acquire additional equipment in time for any potential conflict to enable our forces, including the Royal Marines, to operate effectively alongside coalition forces.