Kosovo: Lessons From The Crisis

Chapter 4: Learning and Implementing the Lessons

4.1. The MOD and the Services have well-practised systems for learning and implementing lessons from operations. The Kosovo operation is no exception, with a specially established team tasked to co-ordinate the Department’s internal and external lessons-related activity, working closely with the Directorate of Operational Capability in the co-ordination and evaluation of lessons. The Directorate of Operational Capability will monitor the implementation of the lessons identified, and help to ensure that the required action is taken.

4.2. As part of the process of learning lessons, and drawing on our experience in the Strategic Defence Review, MOD assisted in the organisation of two seminars on Kosovo lessons, in conjunction with the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal United Services Institute. These seminars attracted a broad spectrum of participants from a number of nations, and helped give a wider perspective on events and particular issues, which was valuable in our process of reflection on the key lessons. We are keen to organise such meetings again in the future.

4.3. All commanders directly involved in operations, in theatre, in the command chain or elsewhere, were asked to make reports through their chain of command on their experiences during the operation, and to recommend areas where they believe improvements can be made to equipment or procedures for future operations. They have been asked to make their reports frank and as critical as required – bland reports would be of little value. For this reason, if such reports are ever leaked, as has happened after the Kosovo operation, they can lead to criticism. Such criticism ignores the fact that we commission such reports in order actually to identify problems and then do something about them. We consider constructive criticism to be a strength, and we will continue to encourage it in the future.

4.4. Ensuring that the lessons we have learned are the right ones, and weighing them against our other priorities can take time. As important as learning the lessons is ensuring that we do not learn the wrong lessons – lessons which may be peculiar to a particular operation. This is particularly important as the Defence budget is finite, and difficult judgements are constantly required in order to decide how best to spend our resources.

4.5. Nevertheless, rapid decisions have been made. In March this year, the Defence Secretary announced that the UK would proceed with trials of enhanced secure air-to-air communications and the integration of Maverick anti-armour missiles onto the Harrier GR7. These were to address crucial capability lessons which had emerged from the Kosovo conflict, on which early action was required. More details of these projects are given in Chapter 7. Action was also taken during the campaign, and since, to acquire equipment through the Urgent Operational Requirement process – this is addressed in more detail in Chapter 6.