§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many urgent operational requirements (UORs) there are in respect of Operation Telic, and if he will list them, together with the total value, broken down where available by individual urgent operation requirement. [101417]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 6 March 2003]: Over 170 urgent operational requirements (UORs) have been approved at a value of around £500 million for equipment related to Operation Telic. The broad categories into which these can be broken down are shown in the following table.
63W
Category Description Force protection Including measures to enhance situational awareness and platform protection, and to maximise Combat ID inter-operability with US forces. Modifications for desert operations Action to address the lessons identified from Exercise SAIF SAREEA II and enhance, inter alia, the performance of Challenger 2 and AS90 in desert conditions. Close-quarter fighting A range of measures including additional light machine guns and enhanced night vision and thermal imaging equipment. Precision munitions Increased stocks of precision munitions in accordance with lessons identified from operations in Kosovo. Secure communications A range of measures to ensure interoperability with US forces at both unit and platform level. NBC protection A range of measures to protect UK forces from any CBRN threat. Medical support Includes enhancements to field hospital infrastructure and medical equipment. Support equipment Including additional Temporary Deployable Accommodation (TDA), support to logistics operations, water and fuel distribution. These measures do not include the additional purchase of stock, such as clothing, which are not obtained by the UOR process.