Future Rapid Effect System
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The Future Rapid Effect System (often abbreviated FRES) is a proposed family of medium weight armoured vehicles for the British Army. It is expected to enter service around 2010.
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History
The Future Rapid Effect System programme was officially launched on the May 5, 2004. In July 2004, the Delivering Security in a Changing World: Future Capabilites defence review announced three light armoured squadrons would be established to support the development of FRES.
The programme is currently in a two-year assessment phase, during which the exact number of FRES vehicles required will be determined.
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Purpose
(The requirement to be C-130 transportable was removed during 2005)
- FRES variants will fulfill several roles, including combat and support.
- FRES will initially replace the Army's Saxon APC, FV432 series, and CVR(T) series vehicles. There were also plans to make it replace replace the Warrior IFV and Challenger 2 tank later on. Lessons learned during urban warfare in the war on terror however has made the replacement of the Challenger 2 tank very unlikely. That is unless there will be major technology breaktroughs in lightweigt armor protection which would give FRES the same level of armor protection as the Challenger 2 tank (surviving 120/125mm rounds and anti-tank missiles).
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