Army rifles: What's gone wrong?

British troops in Sierra Leone were left defenceless when they came under attack in May because their SA80 rifles failed, it has been reported.

It is the latest controversy over equipment for the armed forces.

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What is the problem with the rifle?

While a highly accurate weapon and reliable in most circumstances, it is a complex piece of equipment and prone to jamming in extreme hot or cold climates.

Given that UK troops have had to operate in the sand of Kuwait and the winters of Bosnia and Kosovo since the weapon was introduced in the 1980s, modifications are long overdue.

The light support version of the weapon is seen as so unreliable that British paratroops in Kosovo simply left theirs behind, choosing to use older more reliable machine guns.

Is there any evidence that soldiers' lives have been put at risk?

Yes, according to Foreign Office minister Peter Hain.

On Monday, he confirmed a newspaper report that in May, British troops in Sierra Leone were put in mortal danger during an attack by rebels.

Mr Hain said there had been a "serious situation" when the SA80 rifles of two British troops jammed. Comrades armed with older, more reliable weapons, came to their rescue during the onslaught at Lungi airport.

The Ministry of Defence has refused to comment on the report.

What modifications will be needed and what are the costs and timescale?

In June it was announced 200,000 of the rifles will be modified at a cost of £80m.

The SA80's magazine, firing pin, springs, cocking lever and barrel will be replaced. British gun-maker Heckler and Koch is expected to carry out the work and the first batch of modified rifles are due back by the end of 2001

Have there been other problems with this gun?

This is an inherent design flaw. The weapon has long been criticised by UK soldiers, especially after the 1991 Gulf War. Its complexity and design mean it is difficult to keep clean, especially in sandy or muddy conditions, again exacerbating reliability problems.

Has privatisation of the Royal Ordnance, which manufactured the rifles, played a part in this?

No, but of course the company no longer exists and the production lines have been shut down. Heckler & Koch is the private sector successor to Royal Ordnance, and part of the major British defence contractor BAE Systems. It has conducted extensive trials with modified weapons and its factory in Nottingham is probably favourite to get the remedial work once contracts are issued.

If the gun was not up to scratch, why not re-equip with an alternative?

Far too expensive to simply throw it away. It is generally effective and the modifications are said to improve its reliability significantly.

This is one of several cases of problems with military equipment recently - is it all linked?

There have been several problems lately regarding procurement decisions, but other than a continuing pressure on funding there are not really common themes.

The SA80 is bad original design. The problems with the late introduction of a new digital radio system called Bowman, which is expected to appear by the end of 2002, when it should have entered service in 1995, and the difficulties with the Tornado GRIV upgrade, relate to fundamental problems in the defence procurement process. The Labour government says it is trying to address this.

But especially in the field of information technology it is very difficult to field equipment in a timely fashion. In this sector, and compared to the Cold War years, it is the civil computer industry that leads the military, rather than the other way around.

Just improving the traditional procurement process may not help to grapple with the problems of rapidly advancing technology. But Bowman and SA80 are very much problems inherited from previous governments which finally have to be dealt with.