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Further Reading

Future Rapid Effect System (FRES)

The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) will provide the British Army with a family of medium-weight, network-enabled, air-deployable armoured vehicles to meet up to 16 battlespace roles. FRES will be the central pillar of a capable and highly deployable medium force which will be able to project power rapidly world-wide, complementing our existing heavy and light forces. The key drivers are the need for a rapid effect land capability, the ability to meet a wide number of operational roles, maximum interoperability with other UK forces and our allies, and addressing the obsolescence of existing vehicles.

As of 2005 the FRES project team was discussing issues of mutual interest with both Sweden's SEP project team and the US' FCS project team. Co-operation during the Assessment Phase is likely to focus on harmonising requirements for interoperability in support of coalition operations and mitigating common areas of technology risk.

It is a challenging project, faced with the conundrum of balancing capability, affordability and early delivery. The In-Service date (ISD) has yet to be firmly set and will only be endorsed at Main Gate. Mention of any particular date at this stage is speculation. The MoD has previously indicated that the UK is planning for the early variants of FRES to be introduced early in the next decade, with later variants being delivered incrementally thereafter.

FRES is expected to be a multi-billion program however, the full Program cost is yet to be established. The Total Fleet Requirement (i.e. the number of vehicles required) will be determined by work planned for the initial Assessment Phase. Current estimates indicate a potential requirement of over 3,500 vehicles. FRES offers the opportunity to replace some of the older armored vehicles. The aspiration is to remove from service at the earliest opportunity the maximum number of older vehicles like FV430, CVR(T) and Saxon/FV430, but the eventual decision on whether any vehicles may remain in service will be a based upon a sensible appraisal of whether retaining any of them would represent better value for money than buying new equipment.

The role that FRES will fulfil is different from that of CR2 and Warrior, which, with appropriate enhancement, will remain the UK's most capable equipment for armored fighting troops for the foreseeable future. FRES, by contrast, is to be a medium weight vehicle, able to be deployed much more quickly to crises and able to exploit information quickly through a digital communications network, so allowing troops to reinforce and support each other more easily. It will make up for being smaller and lighter by using an integrated suite of modern survivability technologies to enhance its protection levels well beyond those of our current medium-sized vehicles, and by needing less support.

The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) is the UK program to provide the British Army with a family of medium-weight, network-enabled, air-deployable armoured vehicles to meet up to 16 battlespace roles. Armored personnel carriers, reconnaissance, command and control and ambulances are just a few of the roles to be provided. A big advantage for FRES will come from the vehicles being designed to be part of a communications network, able to exchange information quickly and so to reinforce and support each other more easily.

The Future Rapid Effect System will provide the British Army with a family of medium-weight, network-enabled, air-deployable armoured vehicles. FRES will be the central pillar of a capable and highly deployable medium force which will be able to project power rapidly world-wide, complementing the UK's existing heavy and light forces. The UK MoD wants the ability to respond to crises rapidly, ideally by air, with well protected personnel and equipment. Heavy armored forces take time to deploy, since they need to be moved by sea rather than air.

The key drivers for FRES are the need for:

• An armored Rapid Effect land capability
• Wide operational utility
• Maximum interoperability with other parts of deployed forces, other components and allies
• Addressing the obsolescence of existing fleets.

These drivers are closely aligned to the Army's strategic development themes of Agile Forces, Effects-based Operations and Directed Logistics.

The key design features of FRES include:

• A 'System of System' architecture, drawing closely on developments in Digitisation and CBM/ISTAR, designed to ensure optimal situational awareness, operational tempo and force cohesion throughout the battlespace.
• Air portable, to achieve Rapid Effect
• A balanced, modular and integrated survivability package
• Commonality of sub systems and components to improve supportability; reduce the logistic footprint; enable through-life capability sustainment; and reduce cost of ownership.
• An incremental approach to capability acquisition, in particular to the insertion of technologies as they mature, via an Integrated Technology Acquisition Programme (ITAP).

FRES Contract Efforts

A contract was awarded to Atkins in November 2004 to lead a number of activities, under the strategic direction of MoD, during the initial Assessment Phase. The FRES initial Assessment Phase has 3 broad aims. They are to further define the FRES capability as the basis for the development of a series of affordable options; to develop optimum procurement and support strategies for future phases; and to manage technology and supplier risk to acceptable levels. This risk reduction work involves a series of TDPs. This TDP work is currently being progressed. It will serve as a means of assessing and, where necessary, accelerating, the maturity of candidate technologies in order to determine if they are applicable to FRES.

A total of nine Technology Demonstrator Programmes (TDPs) have been launched to investigate and mature technologies and integration issues.

FRES Electronics Architecture Technology Demonstrator Programme (EA TDP) is an 18-month programme to demonstrate the readiness of an open, scalable, network enabled architecture and its ability to support the current and future FRES electronics requirements, as well as the integration of the architecture onto a third party Chassis Concept.

On 28 December 2005 it was announced that Land Systems Hägglunds in Örnsköldsvik, together with BAE SYSTEMS Land Systems in UK, had been awarded a contract for technology studies for the British army´s vehicle project FRES. The order is valued at approximately 65 million SEK, including an option. The study aims to evaluate the technology of the Swedish developed SEP and its performance and adaptability towards the demands of the FRES project - mainly the electrical hybrid running. The option part of the contract contains practical tests of using electrical hybrid running.

The early development of SEP in Sweden and the continuous export success of CV90 positioned Hägglunds in a world leading position regarding the technical level on military vehicle systems. One result of this is participation in the study and evaluation phase in the FRES project. This contract of technology studies helps to establish a firm ground for a more profound bilateral cooperation on both industry and government to government level between Sweden and the UK. Without the development made in the Swedish SEP project Land Systems Hägglunds would never have had the possibility to participate at this early stage of the FRES project. A participation that will strengthen Land Systems Hägglunds chances in coming series purchases which were expected during 2007.

BAE SYSTEMS is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space. The company designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, fighting vehicles, radar, avionics, communications, electronics and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems. BAE SYSTEMS has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company has more than 90,000 people and generates annual sales of approximately £14 billion through its wholly-owned and joint venture operations.

Land Systems Hägglunds designs, manufactures and markets military vehicle systems. The company's primary products are infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), armoured all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and turret systems. The head office and production facility is in Örnsköldsvik. Land Systems Hägglunds employs around 1100 personnel and in 2004 had a turnover of 3 billion Swedish Kronor (£220 million).

Specialist Vehicle

The UK's £1bn Specialist Vehicle (formerly known as FRES) program was awarded to General Dynamics UK, which offered a solution based on the Spanish tank "Ascod". A proportion of the work will be conducted in Spain by GDSBS.

Bob Ainsworth, the UK Defence Secretary, announced on 22 March 2010 the selection of General Dynamics UK (GD UK) as the preferred bidder for the Demonstration Phase of the FRES SV program, over its rival BAE Systems. The rapid decision allowed clarity and progress for the FRES SV element of the program, avoiding any delay due to the election period. This is in stark contrast to the very long process that the overall £13bn FRES programme (with a whole-life cost estimated at £50bn), which is the highest priority equipment program within the British Army, has followed since its inception in 1998.

The draft invitation to tender for the FRES SV program followed on from the announcement of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Sector Strategy in mid-2009. The Strategy decided that FRES SV should, with the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme, be prioritised ahead of the FRES Utility Vehicle. The reconnaissance vehicle is now to be introduced first, with a desired Initial Operating Capability (IoC) of 2014. The FRES SV is medium-weight capability, comprising three families of vehicles: Reconnaissance, Medium Armour and Manoeuvre Support, and will replace the existing very aged Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) fleet, heavily up-armoured on operations in Afghanistan. The SV fleet will provide improved protection against a wide range of threats and bring significant benefits to the Army, including greater firepower, longer-range sensors and sighting systems and a higher level of reliability.

The base vehicle for FRES SV is the General Dynamics European Land Systems ASCOD (Austrian-Spanish Cooperative Development). ASCOD SV has been significantly re-designed to the requirements of the FRES SV programme by GD UK. It is rated to grow to 42 tonnes, and incorporates a transmission rated at 45 tonnes, which meets the full FRES SV requirement now and should not require a major upgrade program to deliver all the variants.

The turret is designed by Lockheed Martin UK - Ampthill, specifically for the British Army's scout role. Lockheed Martin has revealed it has teamed with Rheinmetall Land Systems to use a version of the German company's Lance turret. The medium-calibre Lance turret, which will only be carried on the Scout version of the British tracked vehicle requirement, will house the 40mm CT40 cannon developed by BAE and Nexter, its French partner. The Lockheed Martin UK turret system has a level of commonality between Scout SV and Warrior CSP. More than 75 per cent of the Scout turret will be manufactured in the UK, Lockheed Martin officials claim.

The Intellectual Property for FRES SV will be based in the UK, part of the sovereign capability available to the British Government. In addition, GD UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2010 with the UK MoD's Defence Services Group (DSG), in Donnington, to transfer Assembly, Integration and Test for full-rate production of ASCOD SV, which it is claimed will safeguard the future of the DSG. The contract will bring jobs to eight different regions of the UK. Figures vary, but, by value, 80-85 per cent of the vehicle manufacture will be completed in the UK, and around 70 per cent of the supply chain work on the vehicles will take place in the UK, which would ensure the creation or sustaining of 10,000 - 10,600 British jobs within the armoured vehicle sector. This supply chain comprises key suppliers in Scotland, the North of England, the North West, the East Midlands and the South of England, as well as additional suppliers in Wales and the West Midlands. SMEs in the supply chain are being encouraged to become involved by GD UK.

So, this is good news for the British Army and for UK SMEs, but there remains a fear that, with the SDSR underway post-election, this Demonstration Phase contract may not follow through promptly into the first tranche of 580 vehicles, SV Production contract. This would be a major setback for UK Defence Industry.