SAS selection deaths: March planning 'failed', senior official says

Cpl James Dunsby, L/Cpl Edward Maher and L/Cpl Craig Roberts died in July 2013

The risk assessment for a fatal SAS reservist training exercise was "not good enough", a special forces assistant chief of staff has said.

L/Cpl Craig Roberts, from Conwy county, died during the Brecon Beacons march on one of the hottest days of 2013.

L/Cpl Edward Maher and Cpl James Dunsby also collapsed and later died.

The senior official, known as AA, told the inquest on Monday aspects of the planning for the 16-mile (26 km) march had "failed".

'Not good enough'

The inquest has previously heard reservists had not been "conditioned" or "acclimatised" to the conditions that day, which may have contributed to their deaths.

"The way we should have saved them from that lack of conditioning was through our dynamic risk assessment, which on the day was not good enough," AA told the inquest in Solihull, West Midlands, on Monday.

He said SAS training was carried out at unit level and he would "supervise the department when things go wrong".

The soldiers collapsed during the march while carrying 50lbs (22kg) of equipment

AA said special forces "would prefer" its people to have a "better understanding" of Ministry of Defence (MoD) guidance on heat exhaustion.

However, he said, he did not believe the "full provisions" of the guidelines "can be applied in all circumstances".

AA accepted those in charge of the exercise "did not have a good understanding" of this.

When asked how it could have happened, AA replied: "We, organisationally, have failed to give them either the knowledge or the understanding that was required."

He added: "One of the things we have managed to do in the wake of this incident … is training more specifically in respect of heat illness."

'A weakness'

AA said, two years on from the deaths, the SAS was still relying on a tracking system, which has been identified as needing a number of upgrades.

"We haven't resolved that problem," he added, despite saying some functions had been improved.

He also said the "fact that medics were not provided with radios" on the day was "a weakness and an omission and something we've already done something about".

L/Cpl Roberts, 24, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, L/Cpl Maher, 31, from Winchester, in Hampshire, and Cpl Dunsby, 31, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, were all taking part in the exercise alongside some SAS regulars.

A serving regular present on the day told the inquest on Friday the exercise would have been "significantly inhibited" if safety guidelines had been followed.

The inquest continues.