Top brass face flak over shortfalls

Soldiers in Kosovo still do not have a proper combat radio

The Ministry of Defence is coming under fire for failing to equip the Royal Air Force and the Army adequately for operations such as the one mounted in Kosovo.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the armed forces remained under strength.

A project to equip the RAF with an all-weather strike capability was years behind schedule and the Army still did not have a reliable combat radio.

The committee urged the MoD to act quickly to address the problems.

There were significant gaps in military capability, particularly with precision strike munitions

David Davis, committee chairman

If necessary, it should buy in "stop-gap" solutions to cover the lack of an all-weather strike capability and the problems with the radio system.

The Kosovo campaign also exposed the lack of a "heavy lift" capability and the committee said that it was essential that programmes to lease roll-on, roll-off ferries and US C17 transport aircraft went ahead on schedule.

The committee warned the MoD that it needed to review its policy on maintaining missile stocks after the RAF came close to running out of precision guided missiles during the conflict.

MPs comment on the RAF in the report

When the Serb forces did pull out of Kosovo the MoD did not have equipment needed by the peacekeeping forces - such as winter field accommodation - and had to spend £150m urgently on buying in new kit.

Committee chairman Tory MP David Davis said: "The department have not yet achieved the balance of military capabilities which they have been seeking for operations such as Kosovo.

"There were significant gaps in military capability, particularly with precision strike munitions.

"The extent to which the department had urgently to buy additional equipment, such as that for basic expeditionary accommodation, shows they were not adequately prepared to undertake such operations."

Armed Forces Minister John Spellar said: "We have already identified and taken steps to rectify the capability shortfalls in the committee's report."