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By Neil Baumgardner
WASHINGTON--Britain last month released a request for information (RFI) seeking information on the possible use of modified off-the- shelf vehicles as part of the Future Rapid Effects Systems (FRES) program, which intended to field a new family of C-130 deployable armored vehicles to the British army by 2007.
"The U.K. Direct Battlefield Engagement Capability Customer is migrating towards a strategic capability direction involving high tactical mobility, which is easier to deploy and sustain than that provided by present AFV (armored fighting vehicle) platforms," according to the RFI sent to industry on May 10. "The U.K. Military Customer seeks to rationalize the future U.K. AFV programs to achieve a new platform family with a high degree of commonality."
The British army has been moving towards the new FRES family of vehicles since the apparent collapse of the Future Scout Cavalry System/Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement (TRACER) program with the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army last year decided not to proceed into the system development and demonstration phase of the program to free up funds to pay for transformation efforts focused on C-130 deployability.
TRACER was intended to replace the British army's aging Sabre and Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles.
The FSCS/TRACER program included several characteristics similar to the FRES effort, including C-130 deployability. Britain's Royal Air Force flies the Lockheed Martin C-130, as do many other...