Sgt Jamie Miles is a Platoon Weapons Instructor – a specialist in weapons and tactics – with the Royal Marines, and was part of 45 Commando during operations in Afghanistan last year. He sent back one of the three defect reports about problems with the SA80 A2 weapon. In Sgt Miles’ own words:

“The SA80 A2 was introduced to us at 45 Commando last November, we conducted the usual static firing weapons test and initial reaction to that was ‘OK, this weapon looks the same but it is actually performing extremely well.

“Normally we’d fire some men through a couple of basic shoots and every man would probably incorporate a couple of stoppages. With the entire company, at that stage we had none.

“We then went off to our training area. We conducted everything from single-man close-quarter battle all the way up through to section attacks, troop attacks, company and everything, and 110 men had fired approximately between 3,500 rounds and 4,200 rounds each. We had five stoppages, four of them were down to the firer.

“So now we are looking at: ‘This weapon is fantastic. Yeah, OK, it looks like a Lada but actually we are driving a Porsche 911.’ And we are now confident, and the feeling within the company was very good.

“We were then launched into HMS Ocean as part of the Amphibious Ready Group and deployed subsequently to Operation Jacana. And then went on to a sub-op called Operation Ptarmigan.

“For the first time in 20 years, a Royal Marines Commando unit had formed up, supported by artillery, mortars, heavy machine guns, and more importantly, the rifleman had confidence with his A2.

“And we successfully went on Op Ptarmigan, dominated the ground, lined out for the first time in 20 years and it was a pure success. At that point there were no real issues with the weapon.

“But we had noted that the heat made it a little bit more difficult to keep clean. We had noted that the dust started sticking to the insides, a little bit of sludge – the downdraft from the Chinooks - weapons are starting to look shabby, and we’ve got this mindset in 3 Commando Brigade that if you look at a weapon that’s dirty, they think it’s ineffective.

“When you’re a recruit, when you’re a trained Marine, when you’re a sergeant, if your weapon looks dirty, you clean it. We need to come away from that – does it work?

“We then later started getting a few more difficulties on the range. The ammunition was starting to feel a little bit different but this is only coming after a matter of time. And I thought ‘Have we ruined these weapons because of the amount of ammunition we’ve fired through?’

So we thought ‘Hang on a minute, this dust mixing with all the oil – is that what’s slowing it up?’ So Royal Marines being Royal Marines, a clean weapon is a good weapon and we then stuck liberally with the oil.
As a rule people were still oiling but it was liberally. And some people tried dry and all sorts of regimes were coming out.

“We’ve got men deploying on to the ground with a little bit of confidence knocked now – considering the highs that we were on before we got on ship.

“So it wasn’t a massive, major issue, although it would have been if things had turned for the worse. So I then wrote a report saying ‘The A2 – there are problems.’

“And then all of a sudden – boom! Heckler and Koch are arriving, Col Haddow’s arriving, the trials team’s arriving: ‘Let’s sort this out.’

“So the trials team came out, Col Haddow conducted his second day of trials, the day I left theatre, and two weeks later the brigade were out of the theatre.

“So I’m now going to Oman to conduct the confidence demonstration. There were nine Royal Marines out there, four RAF Regiments, one Parachute Regiment guy and so on, it was a good mix, tri-Service.

“There were three people there on the confidence course, there was myself, C/Sgt Ryan, and Sgt Evans, who had reported problems.

“I went out, I was still pro-A2, but you know I had it clear in my head that there were issues that needed addressing. So I went out there for the two weeks and sat on the fence, if you like, and wanted the clinical trials results to show me – I wanted to see fact.

“I sat on the fence as far as a decision, but as far as input into it went, it was a massive think-tank. We sat there and went: ‘Well, actually, we’ve got someone from the DPA here and the DLO, you’re the people who are meant to be giving us kit. So this is what we want.’

“And for two weeks we hounded them with ideas upon ideas – everything from the way we train people to the kit that we require to the re-education of the Brigade and to everything else that is going to be an issue with the SA80.

“They gave us a pamphlet, the existing cleaning regime, and we looked at it and went ‘Well, sorry, that’s rubbish’ – and it was now 30 pages long, which is too much.

“We have got the average recruit who has got a lot of information to take in – we’re not saying he’s solid, we’re saying he has already got a lot to learn.

“So C/Sgt Ryan came up with a cleaning regime in line with what they wanted, but ten times simpler. But I don’t know if anything is going to come of that.

“And we have now walked away from there, very, very happy; we’ve also got some extremely good results.
There are other weapons in service, but in comparison the A2 has come out superior.

“A weapon system is called a system for a reason. It is not just a weapon, it is a cleaning kit, it is a person, it is the bayonet, it is everything.

“The weapon system is a package, and the package needs work, and if we do that, we are going to turn the 95 per cent pass rate to 99 per cent.

“And there is no other weapon system in the world that can do that. For a basic infantry weapon, that the Royal Marines need, the A2 is the weaponhead.

“You can use it in the desert, you can use it in the jungle, you can use it in the Arctic, you can use it for offensive operations or to blow up areas. It’s a good compromise for everything that we need. We don’t need a new weapons system. This system does it all.

“I have sat on the fence on this one, I have seen the results, I have fired the weapon operationally and on the ranges. I am convinced there is no problem.

“If you want a weapon that looks Gucci and good, well great, look somewhere else. But I am telling you now, I don’t care what it looks like, the A2 is the better weapon.

“Those people who keep writing into the Daily Telegraph are bored ex-Royal Marines who are fed up of doing the gardening and don’t know what to do today. I’m currently serving in the Royal Marines and I’ve got a message for you: this A2 is a hoofin’ weapon – write to me!

“There are issues, but we’ve got the information – we just need to get out there and tell people. We’ve got the regime to get this squared away.”

Facts and figures

Trials in Afghanistan:
Led by: Col Fraser Haddow RM. Team: experts from Infantry Trials and Development Unit, Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), and Heckler & Koch; two operational analysts from the Permanent Joint Headquarters

First trial method: Interviewed Royal Marines from the patrol whose weapons had suffered stoppages in contact; inspected weapons and asked them to prepare using existing routines;
12 firers to range: 150 rounds in just over eight minutes, simulating contact engagement and an assault
Results: Only 2 weapons performed satisfactorily

Initial findings:
• Men unable to clean weapons properly, not through neglect but incorrect or worn-out cleaning brushes
• Not oiling according to pamphlet
• Damaged magazines
• Safety catches stiff
• Muzzle cover expanded in heat and slipped off weapon
Action: Taught correct cleaning regime and increased firing party to 24, firing 3,600 rounds
Result: Only one weapon failed test

Second trial method: Trials team set out to replicate the heat and dust conditions on operations with 36 Royal Marines (24 from the first test, but 12 new as a control group). Two Chinook helicopters flying, on each landing Royal Marines deploy and took up firing positions, then helicopters take off, land again, and Royal Marines re-embark – seven times (five with extreme brown-out conditions). Returned to range, lay weapons directly on the sand, left there for an hour in the hottest part of the day – up to 52 degrees Centigrade. Then straight to firing point, dustbowl with constant 20-knot wind
Battlefield mission test repeated with all 36: 5,400 rounds fired
Results: 24 Royal Marines who had been previously instructed, 87.5% reliability; control group, 17%

Recommendations included:
• Replacement muzzle cap
• Weapon cover
• Safety catch made of more resilient material
• Weapon pamphlet – more specific and clearer

Demonstration in Oman
Led by: Lt Col Tony Thornburn; team of 39: 21 uniform personnel from all three Services; representatives of Defence Procurement Agency and DLO

Objectives:
• Demonstrate reliability of SA80 A2 in harsh, challenging conditions
• Enhance confidence
• Validate the extant cleaning and maintenance regime
• Assess proposed revisions of the A2 pamphlet

Prior to deployment, survey results:
• 68% felt A2 had reliability problem
• 85% happy with accuracy
• 57% felt difficult to clean in field

Demonstration: Tactical missions replicating operational situations with SA80 A2 and rivals: such as vehicle moves, helicopter deployment, fire and manoeuvring procedures on the firing point. Empty magazines recharged with ammunition in a tactical manner, lying in the sand

On completion, survey results:
• 95% felt A2 reliable
• 100% happy with accuracy
• 100% felt it was easy to clean in the field (operational oiling taking approx 10-15 seconds)

Results: The Individual Weapon fired 165 battlefield missions, each comprising 150 rounds over a period of 8 mins 40 secs. A total of 24,750 rounds fired and only 51 stoppages
• Out of 165 battlefield missions, A2 passed 156: of the 9 failures stoppages were easily cleared and not mission critical
• A2 achieved a 95% success rate, above operational requirement of 90%, and its nearest rival of popular choice achieved only 47%