FRES Scout revealed

Wednesday, 9 September, 2009

It has been revealed that BAE Systems, Global Combat Systems, has recently completed a demonstrator based on a CV90 chassis as a contender for the Scout variant of the British Army Future Rapid Effect System - Specialist Vehicle (FRES-SV) requirement.

For this application, the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) chassis has been lowered and fitted with a new turret armed with a stabilised CTA International 40mm dual-feed Case Telescoped Armament System (CTAS). Manned firing trials are due to be carried out later this year.

The UK MoD has mandated CTAS for the FRES – Scout requirement and the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP), for which there is also an ongoing competition.

The CV90 FRES Scout demonstrator is fully digitised and leverages off the more than 1,100 CV90 IFVs and variants produced by the company, with sales already made to Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

The CV90 IFV is currently deployed in Afghanistan with Norway and Sweden, and Denmark will deploy the latest CV90 Mk III next year. CV90 has won every international competition it has entered since it went into production in 1992.

FRES SV currently consists of three blocks of Reconnaissance Vehicles plus Medium Armour and Manoeuvre Support, with up to 1,300 vehicles being procured.

Reconnaissance Block 1 consists of Scout, Repair, Recovery and Protected Mobility vehicles, with Scout being the replacement for the currently deployed Scimitar armed with an unstabilised 30mm RARDEN cannon and 7.62mm co-axial machine gun.

It is expected that about 270 FRES Scouts will be procured with a potential initial operational capability of 2015.

BAE Systems is building a preproduction standard turret for the WCSP, which will de-risk the programme before contract award, which is expected in the first quarter of 2010.

Also competing for the FRES-SV contract is General Dynamics UK with the latest version of the ASCOD 2 vehicle.