WHAT A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR EUROPE :

Tanks, guns and boots all failed Army in desert (Philip Johnston, 01/08/2002, Daily Telegraph)

Only half of the British Army's main battle tanks were left operational during a major exercise in the Gulf last year when their engines became clogged with dust after a few hours in the desert.

Other equipment, from guns to boots, also failed to withstand the rigours of Operation Swift Sword - raising major questions over the Army's capacity to participate in a land assault against Iraq.

An investigation by the National Audit Office published today found that helicopters, self-propelled guns and heavy lifting vehicles all struggled in the heat and dust, while boots fell apart and the uniform was too hot. [...]

But the Ministry of Defence called the exercise "a success". It said: "This was the first time that many new items of equipment had been tested in the desert under near-operational conditions.

"The key point of major exercises is that they allow us to identify the challenges our forces might face when actually operating in such testing conditions. We have made comprehensive arrangements for identifying lessons and, where necessary, we will make improvements to our equipment and procedures."

As Tom Roberts (who sent this one) said : "When people ask what the effect of military underinvestment is, this is it. Especially the melting boots and flammable air filters." Posted by Orrin Judd at August 1, 2002 4:56 PM