General Dynamics UK is teaming with Lockheed Martin UK Insys to bid for the scout variant of the British army's Future Rapid Effects System armoured-vehicle program.
The U.S.-owned vehicle builder has confirmed in a statement released Nov. 5 that it will use a Lockheed Martin-designed turret on the ASCOD 2 machine it is bidding for the scout element of a possible 4 billion-pound program to equip the British army with tracked medium-weight specialist vehicles.
ASCOD 2 is in a head-to-head fight with BAE System's CV-90 MkIII vehicle. The BAE vehicle will use the latest variant of its MTIP2 demonstrator turret for the Scout machine.
Bid documents from General Dynamics and rival BAE Systems are being lodged with the Ministry of Defence for the first phase of the FRES SV program, known as Recce Block 1, on Nov. 5.
It's the first of two major armoured-vehicle bids scheduled to be lodged with the MoD this month. Later in November, BAE and rival Lockheed Martin will submit tenders to upgrade several hundred Warrior infantry fighting vehicles with a new turret, gun and other improvements.
A General Dynamics spokesman declined to give details on whether Lockheed Martin's involvement in ASCOD 2 would extend beyond turret design into production and integration. He said more information would be available after bids had been lodged for the Warrior upgrade.
The FRES Scout vehicle and the updated Warrior will both carry the CT40 weapon system supplied by BAE/Nexter joint venture CTA International.
The MoD mandated the common 40 mm cannon, but it didn't mandate a common turret for the two vehicles.
Industry executives say it's likely there will be significant elements of commonality across the Lockheed Martin and BAE turret offerings for both requirements.
General Dynamics said in a statement that Lockheed Martin UK "has been selected as one of the only U.K.-based companies with the knowledge, skills and experience to integrate the 40 mm case telescopic weapon system."
Sandy Wilson, the president and managing director of General Dynamics UK operations, said bringing together the systems integration and engineering skills of the two companies would ensure the British army got the best vehicle.
The outcome of the two competitions will dictate the future shape of BAE's armoured vehicle business here. BAE's Newcastle factory is currently producing the Terrier armored combat engineering vehicle - after that, its future is uncertain. BAE has already announced it will close three of its vehicle facilities and has laid off several hundred workers.
The bids for Recce Block 1 will cover a requirement for up to 589 vehicles covering four roles and with a value of about 2 billion pounds.
The scout variant is the priority to replace the army's aging CVR(T) Scimitar vehicles, which are plagued by unreliability and other issues. Other variants in the Recce Block 1 will cover repair, recovery and protected mobility.
ASCOD 2 is expected to have gross vehicle weight (rated) of 38 tons, with growth potential up to 42 tons. BAE says its contender weighs in at 32 tons and has been tested at up to 40 tons. By comparison, the CVR(T) weighs in at about 12 tons.
Having dragged their feet for years over making decisions on the FRES specialist vehicles and the postponed utility vehicles FRES programs, the MoD is now scrambling to announce a winner for the contest no later than the first quarter of 2010 in an effort to avoid having an upcoming general election and a strategic defense review stall the program.
The plan is to have the first scout vehicle in service by 2015.
The competition winner will likely go on to provide the common platform for further variants covering direct fire, maneuvering support, medical, command and control, and other roles. As many as 1,300 vehicles could eventually be involved in the program.
The CV-90 has been developed by BAE's Swedish armoured-vehicle operation. ASCOD is a General Dynamics European Land Systems vehicle developed for the Austrian and Spanish armies.
The Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is ready to test a few components that soldiers may have in their hands by 2010.
Help
