Latest on the FRES SV Programme

At the beginning of November, BAE Systems and General Dynamics submitted their bids to secure defence contracts to provide the British Army's next generation of reconnaissance armoured fighting vehicles.

By John Geenty, Divisional Director, Defence IQ

The armoured fighting vehicles will replace the existing Scimitar and Spartan models currently on operations in Afghanistan.

"These vehicles will play a major role in current operations and in equipping the Army to stand ready to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the future," said Quentin Davies, minister for defence equipment and support.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles Contract

General Dynamics has proposed a low-risk evolution of the Austrian Spanish cooperation development (ASCOD) infantry fighting vehicle for the first phase of the of the Future Rapid Effect System Specialist Vehicles (FRES SV) programme.

The company has selected Lockheed Martin Systems as its turret provider for the Scout variant of the armoured fighting vehicles. It has been commissioned to integrate the 40mm Case Telescopic Weapon System into the tank.

As for the rest of its range of armoured fighting vehicles for the FRES SV programme, it has incorporated turrets from every leading manufacturer.

Dr Sandy Wilson, president and managing director of General Dynamics UK, said the ASCOD SV was based on a proven European design and had been developed specifically for the FRES SV by a team of British and European engineers.

"It is a low-risk choice for FRES SV, with excellent weight and growth potential. Our UK engineering talent and experience means that General Dynamics UK is now the country's leading integrator of armoured fighting vehicles," Dr Wilson added.

Growth Potential

BAE Systems' contender for all variants of the armoured fighting vehicles is based on the latest version of its CV90 chassis, which has already been sold to six countries and recognised as the best combat vehicle in its class.

For the Scout model, the chassis has been shortened and given a lower profile.

"We will use a tried and tested model to ensure the UK Ministry of Defence has access to the information it needs to ensure operational sovereignty," said campaign director Arne Berglund.

He added that the vehicle had evolved significantly as a result of each new defence contract to meet the changing face of warfare.

"For instance, despite its relative light weight, our FRES candidate has mine protection comparable with main battle tanks weighing nearly twice as much. It has considerable growth potential, both physically and through its advanced electronic architecture," Berglund added.

Both companies also insisted that their submissions align with the UK armoured fighting vehicles strategy.

'Plug and Play'

An important feature of such programmes going forward is that there is provision for long-term maintenance, extending the life cycle of armoured fighting vehicles. This includes designing them so that parts can be added on or taken off to ensure they are in the best condition to support troops.

BAE Systems' proposed armoured fighting vehicles include an operating system which allows "plug and play" upgrades to electronics.

As part of a separate effort, the company is also working on a pioneering new system that will act as a round-the-clock MOT for military vehicles. The Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) technology will be able to detect faults in armoured fighting vehicles before they cause damage.

It is thought that the system, which is being developed in partnership with Rolls Royce, Thales, Boeing and Cranfield University, could save the Ministry of Defence billions of pounds every year.

Built-in sensors will identify faults using mathematical reasoning to diagnose the problem and then communicating this to the maintenance crew, who can take the necessary action to rectify the problem.

"The current system of replacing parts on a rolling basis is no longer the safest and most efficient way," said Peter Foote, executive scientist at BAE Systems.

"For some time now we have wanted to make the identification, diagnosis and repair of problems in vehicles more efficient and IVHM holds the key to this," he added.

BAE Systems expects the systems to be in full use across military vehicles on land, sea and air within five to 10 years.

As well as saving costs, the technology would also help to increase availability of aircraft and armoured fighting vehicles.