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Army vehicles 'held up in Dubai' MoD denies delay to vehicles' use
(1 day later)
Nine heavily-armoured vehicles for UK troops in Afghanistan were stranded in Dubai because of a lack of transport planes, the Conservatives have claimed. The Ministry of Defence has denied a claim that new armoured vehicles were delayed from being used in Afghanistan owing to a lack of transport planes.
The Ridgbacks, built to withstand mines, were left at an airbase last month after RAF C-17 planes were diverted to Iraq, the party says. The Conservatives had complained that nine heavily-armoured Ridgbacks were stranded for weeks in Dubai.
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox described the delay as "inexcusable". But the MoD said the vehicles were being shipped for troops trained to use them not yet deployed to Afghanistan.
Defence officials say six vehicles have now been delivered and the other three will arrive by the end of the week. The government has ordered about 150 Ridgbacks, which are designed to offer greater protection from landmines.
Eighteen months ago, the government ordered 150 Ridgback armoured vehicles, which offer greater protection against landmines than the more lightly-armoured Snatch Land Rovers which are also used by UK forces in Afghanistan. Tory shadow defence secretary Liam Fox had called it "inexcusable" that the nine vehicles remained in Dubai for weeks after arriving on 16 July.
'Range of factors' The party claims they were left at an airbase after RAF C-17 planes were deployed to move equipment in Iraq.
The government began the process of transporting the vehicles to Afghanistan, but the Conservatives say their delivery was delayed because the RAF's C-17 aircraft were instead deployed to move equipment in Iraq. Defence officials say six of the nine vehicles have now been delivered and the other three will arrive by the end of the week.
The BBC's Ian Watson said security concerns prevented the use of civilian aircraft to transport the armoured cars. In a letter to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, Mr Fox asked: "If we are having difficulty moving only six out of the nine Ridgbacks into theatre in a period of three weeks, what plans are in place to move the 50 Ridgebacks which are expected in Dubai this November?"
Mr Fox condemned the delay. 'Necessary training'
"The idea that we would have bought potentially life-saving vehicles and then not have the ability to ensure that they would get to those that need them is inexcusable," he told the Daily Telegraph. An MoD spokesman said the vehicles had not been intended for use by 19 Brigade, currently in Afghanistan but without enough trained drivers to use them.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said delivery times could be affected by a range of factors, including aircraft availability and conflicting operational priorities. "They are being shipped in time for the arrival of their successor formation, 11 Light Brigade, which has spent all summer training on the new vehicles," the spokesman said.
"Training is not discretionary. These are complex pieces of equipment that will operate in an extremely demanding and dangerous environment.
"We will not put lives at risk by asking soldiers to drive these vehicles without the necessary training."
The deployment of 11 Light Brigade in Afghanistan begins in October.
The Ridgbacks are due to offer extra protection, weapons and communications systems aimed at providing better protection from roadside bombs and landmines.
In his letter, Mr Fox asked for details of the remaining 100 Ridgbacks announced by the government in 2007.