HC Deb 05 May 2004 vol 420 cc1515-6W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve armoured mobility for(a) the Army and (b) the Royal Marines; and if he will make a statement. [165384]

Mr. Ingram

There are a number of ongoing projects that improve the armoured mobility of the Army and Royal Marines.

We have procured appliqué mine blast and ballistic protection kits for the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) vehicles. We have also procured eight Supacat TEMPEST Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV) to deliver a Counter Mine Vehicle (CMV) capability. Both of these capabilities; are deployed on current operations.

We are procuring 401 Future Command and Liaison Vehicle (FCLV) with an approved In Service Date (ISD) of November 2007 to provide protected tactical mobility for Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support Arms within the Army.

There are three vehicle programmes that will significantly improve the capability of the Royal Engineers' armoured mobility. We are procuring 33 TITAN vehicles to deliver the Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge (AVLB) capability and 33 TROJAN vehicles to deliver the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineer (AVRE) heavy breaching capability; both have approved ISDs of December 2006. Additionally, we are procuring 65 TERRIER vehicles to deliver the Armoured Engineer Tractor (AET) capability with an approved ISD of December 2008.

A preliminary assessment has been made of the options to meet the Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicle (ABSV) requirement in our armoured units. We are also studying the concept of a Warrior Mid Life Improvement programme. No final decisions have yet been made on these programmes and the ISDs will not be set until they pass their main gates.

We are currently completing the Concept Phase for the procurement of a family of network-enabled, medium-weight armoured vehicles to deliver the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) capability. The In-Service Date for FRES will not be endorsed until the main investment decision, but on current plans, the intention is to introduce early variants into service around the end of the decade.

For the Royal Marines we are in the process of delivering 108 All Terrain Vehicle (Protected) VIKING vehicles, which includes Troop Carrying, Command and Repair and Recovery Vehicles.