§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's planned expenditure on (i) the Future Rapid Effects System and (ii) all other armoured vehicle projects is over the next 15 years. [130620]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence's financial planning processes focus on ten years ahead for equipment acquisition costs and four years ahead for other areas of expenditure. It is not therefore possible to provide the detailed cost information sought over a 15 year period.
The Future Rapid Effects System project is still in its concept phase. We are therefore yet to endorse the acquisition cost of the project, although it could be in the region of £6 billion.
Other armoured vehicle projects (which have passed their Main Gate investment decision point) are shown below, together with their post Main Gate expected acquisition costs:
- Future Beach Recovery Vehicle (£13 million);
- Viking (£73 million);
- Terrier (£365 million);
- Titan and Trojan (£407 million);
- Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (£238 million).
In addition, two other armoured vehicle projects—the Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle (ABSV) and the Warrior Mid Life Improvement—are still in their concept phases. Consequently, costs have yet to be agreed for these programmes.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether funding for other armoured vehicle projects has been changed as a consequence of the funding arrangements for the Future Rapid Effects System. [130621]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence's annual planning round is used to balance levels of investment across capabilities to ensure that our acquisition plans are, in aggregate, affordable within the resources allocated to the future equipment programme. At the individual project level, there is therefore no direct or specific linkage between increased funding in one area and reductions in another.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on the Future Rapid Effects System; and if he will make a statement on its role in the future capability of the Army. [130623]
§ Mr. IngramFRES will be at the forefront of the Army's rapid intervention capability, across the spectrum of missions from warfighting to peacekeeping. It is expected that the capability will be provided by a system of air-transportable medium weight armoured vehicles and that it will operate as an integral part of future network-enabled forces.
161WAs part of the current concept phase of the FRES project, the MOD has been undertaking planning work in order to inform decisions on how best to take the programme forward. The MOD is now considering procurement options and we expect to make an announcement later this year on the way ahead for the project.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he estimates that the number of variants for the proposed Future Rapid Effects System will fall below 15. [130782]
§ Mr. IngramThe Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) project is in its concept phase. The optimum make up of the FRES fleet will be determined by studies planned for the subsequent assessment phase of the programme. Only when these studies have been completed will we be able to finalise the number of variants required.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects the A400M to be compatible with the requirements of the proposed Future Rapid Effects System; and how this has been affected by the delays in the assessment phase for the Future Rapid Effects System; [130783]
(2) what extra costs he expects to incur to the A400M programme to make it compatible with the requirements of the proposed Future Rapid Effects System. [130775]
§ Mr. IngramThe requirements for the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) are still being developed as part of the project's concept phase. Studies are planned for the next phase of the FRES programme to examine coherence with associated programmes including A400M. These studies will ensure that the FRES requirements take into account the need for air portability. The contract for the A400M programme has now been signed. It is not currently expected that there will be any consequent adjustments to it, and therefore no additional costs have been identified.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the effects of the timescales for(a)the A400M and the development of a strategic lift capability and (b)the awarding of the contract for the Future Rapid Effects System on (i) the development of a rapidly deployable medium force capability and (ii) the projected in-service date of the Future Rapid Effects System. [130804]
§ Mr. IngramIn seeking a better balance in our deployable land forces, we plan to shift from the current mix of light and heavy forces representing the two extremes of deployability and combat power to a more graduated and balanced structure of light, medium and heavy forces, together with a greater emphasis on enabling capabilities such as logistics, engineers and intelligence. The introduction of the air-transportable, medium-weight Future Rapid Effects System family of vehicles is one part of this re-balancing. The ISD for FRES will be formally set at the Main Gate investment decision, however the planning assumption for its ISD remains around the end of this decade. A400M enters service in a comparable timeframe—its ISD is 2011.
162W
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to purchase or lease further C-17s to provide a strategic lift capability for the proposed Future Rapid Effects System. [130781]
§ Mr. IngramThe MOD is currently considering the retention in service of a small fleet of C17 aircraft. This is not specifically linked to the introduction of the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES), although C17s could have utility in this role alongside other airlift assets.