Boeing and Thales win UK defence deal

Boeing of the US and France’s Thales on Friday won a key role in one of the UK’s biggest defence projects.

The two groups were named by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as Systems Of Systems Integrator (SOSI) for the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES), an ambitious plan to overhaul the British army’s fleet of armoured vehicles.

Across its 40-year life, the 3,000-vehicle programme – Britain’s biggest ever land systems project – could be worth as much as £60bn to contractors.

Lord Drayson, defence minister, said in a statement: ”This announcement, almost two months ahead of schedule, demonstrates the excellent progress now being made on FRES. The selection of the SOSI is a key part of our innovative acquisition strategy designed to ensure that we deliver the best solution for the army as quickly as possible.”

The MOD has split the FRES industrial roles into four. As SOSI, Boeing and Thales UK will help provide the government with the expertise to run such a complex project and also determine how the FRES vehicles will plug in electronically with other battlefield ”assets”, such as command and control systems, fighter jets and unmanned aircraft.

The decision is a setback to BAE Systems, as the winner of the SOSI contract is expected to be in the box seat for any expanded role leading the entire development of the UK’s battlefield communications effort.

BAE, which had teamed with MBDA, General Dynamics UK and Finmeccanica of Italy, had argued that the company needed to play some part in the SOSI role to maintain its leadership in British armoured vehicles.

The FRES project calls for vehicles to be introduced beginning in 2012, with four vehicle types in 21 variants for tasks ranging from reconnaissance to road clearing.

Source: Financial Times

Related Defence Supplier Guidance

• Programme Overview: UK MOD Future Rapid Effect System (FRES)

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