The faulty Army-issue machine gun that fires ten times a second without a finger on the trigger



A machine gun used by British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from a fault that can cause it to fire ten rounds a second without anyone pulling the trigger.



Internal Ministry of Defence documents - leaked to this newspaper - reveal that the Army’s 7.62mm chain guns, which are mounted on 800 Warrior armoured vehicles, have fired without warning at least 18 times since 1999.



Suspicions about the gun were first raised in 2003, when the weapon fired at Sergeant Albert Thompson of the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch in Iraq.







Trigger happy: The MoD has admitted that the 7.62mm chain gun used by British soldiers can fire ten rounds a second without anyone pulling the trigger

He was forced to have his leg amputated below the knee and was awarded more than £1million in compensation.



The MoD blamed the gunner, Captain Tam Henderson, and convicted him of negligence at a military hearing in Basra. He was later cleared on appeal.



An internal report - or Board of Inquiry - into the Thompson incident reveals that ‘undemanded firing’ of the chain gun occurred on at least six other occasions from 1999 to 2004. It concluded that the chain gun ‘is unpopular with many service users primarily due to a perception of reliability issues’.



Another report - a Munitions Incidents Summary, produced by the MoD’s Defence Logistics Organisation - reveals that the weapon fired without warning in 2004, killing an Iraqi civilian and severely injuring another Iraqi woman.



The MoD has admitted in an email to Mr Henderson that the weapon has fired at random 12 times this year alone.

Last night, he said: ‘I can’t believe the MoD has finally admitted the gun is dangerous. It has tried to cover up this lethal fault for years. Why does the Government allow so many British troops to die because of poor equipment and funding?

'I resigned my commission last year because I felt I could not lead my troops into a war knowing we were not supported.’

Weapons expert Warren Lister, who has extensive knowledge of the chain gun’s faults, said: ‘The cost of correcting the fault to the chain gun would be £18million, a relatively small amount compared to the total MoD budget.’



Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: ‘If this is a correctable fault and nothing has been done because of the cost, then it is a scandal.’





The news is the latest equipment row to rock the MoD. Yesterday it emerged that the commander of the SAS in Afghanistan, Major Sebastian Morley, had resigned, blaming the Government’s failure to provide adequate kit for British troops fighting the Taliban.



An MoD spokesman said: ‘We accept that there are instances of undemanded firing with the chain gun. There are varying degrees of technical problems and mechanical faults.



‘Any problems with the chain gun are investigated immediately and addressed as required. We have confidence in the Warrior chain gun.’