The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) is the UK programme to provide the British Army with a family of medium-weight, network-enabled, air-deployable armoured vehicles to meet up to 16 battlespace roles.
The key drivers for FRES are the need for:
- An armoured Rapid Effect land capability;
- Wide operational utility;
- Maximum interoperability with other parts of deployed forces, other components and allies; and
- 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
General characteristics / technical performance
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 both capability acquisition and approvals, in particular to the insertion of technologies as they mature, via an Integrated Technology Acquisition Programme (ITAP).
Costs, ISD and Major Milestones
The full Programme cost is yet to be established.
The ISD has yet to be firmly set and will only be endorsed at Main Gate, but the planning assumption is for the early variants of FRES to be introduced around the end of the decade.
The Total Fleet Requirement will be determined by studies planned for the initial Assessment Phase.
Commercial Aspects
A Systems House (SH), independent of product or manufacturing capability and appointed via competition, will lead the initial Assessment Phase. The planning assumption is that the SH Contract will be in place in late 2004. The broad aims of the Assessment Phase are: to further define the FRES capability required within the developing medium force and network enabled operational concepts and thus develop a series of affordable options for meeting the FRES requirement; to develop optimum procurement and support strategies for future phases in order to present a robust case at Main Gate; and to manage technology and supplier risk to acceptable levels.
It is too early in the project to determine the strategy for future phases, however a range of alternative options will be explored during the initial Assessment Phase in order to arrive at the optimum strategy for later phases. Industrial issues related to FRES are being assessed in line with the Defence Industrial Policy, and in association with Other Government Departments, in order to determine how these issues may influence the project. The detailed development of acquisition options will be made against the background of wider industrial factors.
International Collaboration
The IPT is exploring areas of common interest for co-operative activities, and sharing information on work carried out to date. During the initial Assessment Phase, studies will be undertaken to see if international co-operation or collaboration offers a potential solution for FRES.
Public/Private Partnerships
No current plans for Public/Private Partnerships
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