Customs detain `biggest gun in the world'

The Independent Archive; 12 April 1990 Sections of a `40-metre gun barrel' bound for Iraq have been stopped on Teesside. Ian MacKinnon and Christopher Bellamy report

CUSTOMS AND Excise officers yesterday "detained" a consignment of cylinders which they believe to be sections of the world's largest gun, bound for Iraq.

The barrel, which is said to be almost 40 metres long and capable of firing 1,000mm shells, was in sections when discovered by officers at Teesport, Middlesbrough, who had become suspicious of the export documentation before the packages were loaded on the ship.

The consignment is due to be inspected by an arms expert today and may be "seized". The containers, holding the supposed gun-barrel sections, were labelled "Republic of Iraq, Ministry for Industries and Minerals, Petrochemical project, Baghdad, Iraq".

Other Customs Officers later searched and removed documents from the offices of two companies - one, at Halesowen, West Midlands, where the alleged barrel was thought to have been designed, and Sheffield Forgemasters, where it was believed to have been manufactured. No arrests were made.

Forgemasters said last night that its directors had been interviewed by Customs officers, but that the discussions had been "amicable". The company has invested in a pounds 14m forging machine called the GFMSXP65, one of only two in the world. The other is in the United States.

In a recent interview, a company spokesman expressed interest in making a gun barrel of composite materials surrounded by an outer steel casing. But last night Tony Peck, a company spokesman, said that it had kept the Department of Trade and Industry fully informed about the components, which he believed were petrochemical pipes which they had been developing over the past 18 months. "After the initial approach was made by someone acting on behalf of the Iraqis, the company was given the green light by the DTI. Since then it has been in contact with the DTI on numerous occasions. The company has an `end user certificate' and all necessary documentation."

Yesterday's operation, codenamed "Operation Bertha", came after suspicions about the consignment were aroused about a week ago. Customs officers presented with the documentation examined the packages and were convinced that they were parts of a gun. If today's inspection by an arms expert confirms investigators' suspicions, the packages will be seized and become the property of the Crown. The exporters would be liable to prosecution for presenting false documentation.

All arms exports require a licence issued by the DTI. But a strict embargo was placed on the sale of all arms to Iraq and Iran during their eight- year war. Since the two countries are not officially at peace, the embargo is still in force.

If the cargo is a part of a gun with 1,000mm (39in) calibre, it would be the largest built. Arms experts last night expressed surprise at the size of the alleged barrel. Ian Hogg, former lecturer in ordnance design and construction, said: "It is astonishing. I thought this type of ordnance went out at the end of World War Two."

The most powerful gun was the High Altitude Research Project Gun, with a 36m (119ft) barrel and 419mm calibre, which fired a projectile to an altitude of 118 miles.

There has been speculation that the gun may have been designed to fire nuclear shells, but Iraq already has more suitable nuclear delivery means. It would make more sense to use the gun to deliver big chemical shells. The apparent similarity of the barrel to a petrochemical pipe could just indicate that it is designed to use liquid propellant. Liquid propellants for guns, in place of conventional explosive, have been under development for some time.

Last night the consignment was under guard on the quayside. It had been due to be loaded on board the Bermudian-registered Gur Mariner, which has been docked at Middlesbrough for a week. The ship arrived from Rotterdam and was due to sail to the Middle East any day.

There was no one available for comment at the Iraqi Embassy in London last night.

Front-page story from `The Independent', Thursday 12 April 1990