• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

FRES – TIME FOR AN NAO REPORT

July 10, 2008 by

FRES – TIME FOR AN NAO REPORT
By Julian Nettlefold

10 Jul 08. As the FRES Requirement appears stalled, we noticed a PQ by Dr Liam Fox as below. It makes staggering reading and is just the tip of the iceberg.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the
hon. Member for North Durham of 13 June 2008, Official Report, column 556W, on
armoured fighting vehicles, if he will break the £130 million expenditure down
by year. [214457]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Expenditure on the Future Rapid Effects System since the
launch of the assessment phase in 2004 is £127.993 million. This answer corrects
the previous answer I gave on 13 June 2008, Official Report, column 556W, to the
hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones). The breakdown of this figure by year
is as follows:
Expenditure (£ million)
2004-05 6.930
2005-064 8.748
2006-07 45.317
2007-08 26.998

We draw our readers attention to the huge figure spent on FRES since 2004 – £130 million! Not one single vehicle has been built from this huge expenditure. But, this is only the start.

Dr Fox should table a Supplementary Parliamentary Question, as below:

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer on
armoured fighting vehicles, if he will break the spend on FRES and associated projects prior to 2004 by year.

£130 million will look like a Walk in the Park!

History of FRES

Firstly we must look at the situation when the first shot at renewing the British Army’s fleet of armoured vehicles took place – The Future Family of Light Armoured Vehicles – FFLAV.

In the 1980s the British Army had a fleet of some 3000+ CVR(T) vehicles in various configurations, a fleet of Saxon APCs, the deadly Fox armoured car, which regularly killed soldiers by turning over and a fleet of Warriors.

At that time there were a number of Companies able to compete for the new family, VSEL in Barrow, builders of the Light Gun and AS90, GEC Marconi at Leicester, Alvis original manufactures of CVR(T), GKN Defence at Telford, manufacturer of the Warrior and of course Vickers Defence Systems in Newcastle.

The MoD started work on replacing vehicles of the Scimitar family in particular, in the 1980s, with FFLAV programme. What must be appreciated is that the last wheeled vehicle to be designed and built in the U.K. was the Saxon – based on a Bedford 4 tonne chassis. Alvis had not built a wheeled vehicle since Saracen and Saladin in the 60’s, VSEL had never built a wheeled vehicle as neither had Vickers nor GEC Marconi. Thus the wheels vs. tracks argument was won in favour of tracks, as this is where the UK expertise lay. Also the CVR(T) range was regarded as an excellent and suitable vehicle to build on the next generation. Many vehicles had been sold overseas out of a total of 3500 built, thus there were export prospects for FFLAV.

CVR-T (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance – Tracked) is a family of full tracked chassis, lightweight armored vehicles intended to fulfil a broad spectrum of roles. It was fielded by the British Army in the 1970s. CVR-T variants typically weigh between 8,000 and 9,000 kg, have a three-man crew and a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour.

Saxon

The Saxon was intended to act as a cheap but efficient “battle-taxi” for units that would have to make long journeys from the UK to reinforce the BAOR. As a lightly armoured wheeled vehicle it is much faster – especially on roads – and easier to maintain than a tracked vehicle. Indeed, it shares many parts with commercial trucks, reducing the operating cost.

It is armoured against small-arms fire and shell splinters, but is not intended to stand up to any anti-vehicle weaponry. The vehicle has a single machine gun for local air defence, and can carry up to ten men.

A number of Saxon IS, or Saxon Patrol, vehicles were acquired for service in Northern Ireland, serving both as troop carriers

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • KME logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    February 3, 2023
    Read more
  • VETERANS UPDATE

    February 3, 2023
    Read more
  • MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE

    February 3, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT