Military ignored Hercules fire threat-RAF pilot

LONDON, Mar 2 (Reuters) A former Royal Air Force officer said today he tried to warn superiors about a lack of fuel tank fire protection on Hercules aircraft in 2002, two years before one was shot down in Iraq killing 10 aircrew.

An RAF board of inquiry concluded this week that a fuel tank on the Hercules exploded after being hit by small arms fire and that suppressant foam might have prevented the explosion.

Britain said yesterday it planned to fit the majority of its 44-strong fleet of C-130 Hercules transport planes with the foam to prevent future fuel tank explosions but that this work would not be completed until the end of this year.

Squadron Leader Chris Seal said he tried to warn his superiors of the dangers in late 2002.

Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, Seal said he had asked for explosive suppressant foam to be used on Hercules fuel tanks after discovering from two American exchange officers that the Americans had fitted the foam as standard since 1967.

Seal, who left the RAF in 2005, said he believed his request went as high as Group level, to senior officers in charge of the RAF's Air Transport operations, but was ignored.

He said the decision not to fit the foam was likely to be financial. ''I would say it's probably down to cost,'' he said.

Then Defence Secretary John Reid admitted last May the men's lives could have been saved if their plane had been fitted with such protection.

The Conservative Party criticised the government for what it called a failure to fulfil a pledge to equip the Hercules fleet with the suppressant foam.

''The MoD must take swift action to ensure we do not end up with another tragedy in the armed forces,'' Conservative Party defence spokesman Liam Fox said in a statement.

''With these aircraft operating at such a high tempo this must be a priority,'' he said.

Britain last week announced it was scaling back its mission in Iraq from 7,100 troops to 5,500. But it is sending an additional 1,400 soldiers to Afghanistan, which will eventually take the force there to 7,700.

REUTERS SP KP1500