SAS chief quits over 'inadequate' troop equipment
Posted November 1, 2008 13:46:00
The head of Britain's elite special reservist force in Afghanistan has resigned amid fresh controversy over the quality of equipment available to British troops fighting the Taliban.
A newspaper in the UK has reported that Major Sebastian Morley accused the British Government of "chronic underinvestment" in equipment, in his resignation letter.
He reportedly warned that people would be killed if military commanders and government officials continued to allow troops to be transported in the lightly armoured Snatch Land Rover vehicles.
Opposition Conservative party MP Patrick Mercer says the British Government must act.
"We've had at least two ringing reassurances from the Government that Snatch will be withdrawn from patrolling duties in both Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.
"It is outrageous that these vehicles still remain in service, that soldiers, sailors and airmen's lives have been placed at risk by vehicles which are simply inadequate for these sorts of duties."
- BBC
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Curious about this as I've just spent all week at the Land warfare Conf in Brisbane. There was an ex Squaddie at one of the suppliers tables and he'd said that both SAS and SASR (Aust) were borrowing (or getting given kit) by the cousins as they were appalled at how they werebeing treated gear/kit wise.
any substance in it? (From an Aust perspective, I've had this comment come back from both a US and UK kit supplier - kit being clothing, acoutrements and weapons/bolt on items) |