The killing of a British tank commander by "friendly fire" in Iraq could have been prevented, according to an official report into his death published Monday.
The paper, by an Army Board of Inquiry, identified five factors that would have saved the life of Sergeant Steve Roberts, 33, from Shipley in West Yorkshire, northern England, in the opening days of the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
It confirmed earlier reports that Roberts would not have been killed had he not been ordered to give up his enhanced combat body armour (ECBA) three days before going into battle.
The report also stated that "inadequate" training led the gunner who fired the fatal shot to be unaware that the weapon he used was known to be inaccurate at short-range.
Roberts' wife, Samantha, earlier said that her husband had told her supplies of equipment to troops preparing for invasion were "a joke".
"It's been a strenuous and emotional day," she said.
"The events are not just technical — they involve the loss of my husband, the loss of a son, a beloved family member."
She had conducted a high-profile campaign to find out the truth about her husband's death more than three years ago.
The report also said that the apparent jamming of Roberts' pistol, the absence of a second soldier who was supposed to be protecting him, and the lack of operating procedures for tank units manning vehicle checkpoints also contributed to his death.
It revealed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was warned by an internal review in September 2001 that there were insufficient stocks of ECBA for all troops, in the event of a war.
Then defence secretary Geoff Hoon did not order new supplies until December 2003, creating an "unachievable timeframe" resulting in part from political pressure not to appear to be preparing for an invasion at a time when efforts were continuing to find a diplomatic solution at the United Nations, the report said.
The resulting late delivery meant that about 40 percent of the more than 1,000 troops in Roberts' regiment were lacking ECBA when they entered Iraq.
"I would like to express my heartfelt regret over the death of Sgt Steve Roberts and pass on my greatest sympathies to all his family, friends and colleagues," said Defence Secretary Des Browne.
"Hopefully the release of the Board of Inquiry today answers their outstanding questions and helps them to understand a little better the events of that awful day."
