The British Defense Ministry faces several near-term hurdles if it is to adhere to the latest timetable for its long-running Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) vehicle program.

Not only does it have to hit a contract date of March 2010 for the Block 1 element of its FRES Specialist Vehicle (SV) project, but it likely needs to follow up the acquisition process for Block 2 and Block 3 within 24 months to maintain target dates, industry executives suggest.

FRES SV Block 1 covers 589 vehicles, with four roles covered by three variants. The overall SV program includes around 1,200 vehicles. The Block 1 program covers scout, recovery and repair, and protected mobility and reconnaissance support tracked vehicles. Vehicles are due to enter service in 2014-15.

BAE Systems and General Dynamics are the two land systems manufacturers bidding for FRES SV Block 1. Bids are due to be submitted at the beginning of November. The BAE proposal is based on the CV90 family, with General Dynamics offering a derivative of its ASCOD range.

While there are operational and political imperatives for maintaining the intended decision timescale, the government’s previous record on FRES is hardly reassuring. Were a Block 1 contract to slip beyond March then it would likely become mired in the Strategic Defense Review, which is expected to begin immediately following the general election.

Photo: BAE