§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Future Rapid Effects System and the future of(a) the UK's heavy warfighting capability, (b) the development of lighter forces and (c) the role of the medium force in the UK army. [72539]
§ Dr. MoonieIn order to meet the full range of security challenges it might encounter in the future, the Army must be able to draw upon a full spectrum of forces—heavy, medium and light. The Strategic Defence Review, with its emphasis on expeditionary forces, recognised the requirement to develop further the capabilities of all our forces for more rapid intervention.
The Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) is intended to balance our capacity to meet the requirement for capable medium forces. We shall continue to develop our heavy and light forces as we anticipate a continuing need for
1113Wthe capabilities they provide. None of the capabilities is discrete. We shall continue to organise our forces for specific operations into force packages tailored to the requirements of the missions, using joint capabilities drawn from across the services.