By Mark Nicol Senior Army officers, including generals, will be court-martialled and jailed if they send troops into battle with inadequate equipment, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Rules introduced last week mean that – for the first time in Army  history – commanders will be held legally responsible for deaths in a war zone caused by faulty kit. Last night, as troops’ families  welcomed the move, top brass warned that combat operations could grind to a halt as officers fear being singled out for blame. New rules: Royal Marines from Fire Support Troop, Charlie Company, 40 Commando, fire a Javelin missile as they attack a Taliban position on the frontline near Kajaki in Afghanistan's Helmand province
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Duty Holder Concept rules now cover all conflicts involving British forces
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Senior officers will face courts-martial if safety warnings are ignored
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But former colonel warns new rules will increase burdens on commanders
Afghanistan
‘We should also bear in mind, however, that this is coming into practice as our troops are coming home from @placeholder.