Defence procurement policy in the UK which was designed to provide
troops with improved armoured vehicle military capabilities is beginning
to unravel according to recent
reports, and this will top the agenda at International Armoured
Vehicles 2010.
Reports
have suggested that the UK’s vehicle procurement policy for Iraq and
Afghanistan- purchasing commercial-off-the-shelf products in order to
sustain current combat operations under the Urgent Operational
Requirement (UOR) system has ensured a faster rate of delivery. Yet
critics have argued that it remains to be seen whether the vehicles will
provide a lasting solution for an armoured vehicle troop-carrier which
is adaptable to all environments.
The UOR system may turn out to be one of the Ministry of Defence’s most
expensive methods of procurement. The long-term answer is supposed to be
the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES), a new generation of medium-weight
armoured vehicles. Reports
that the Ministry of Defence had planned to buy 3,000 at a cost of £16
billion come as a result of The Times newspaper’s repeated requests for
Freedom of Information. However, it is believed that only the Scout
reconnaissance version has gained approval and the programme is several
years behind schedule.
Right Honourable James Arbuthnot, Chairman of the UK's Defence Select
Committee recently described the UK MoD's Procurement Plan as
"unrealistic" and "a conspiracy of optimism".
In an interview with Defence IQ, Rt. Hon. Arbuthnot was asked to share
his thoughts on the UK's Procurement Plan. He expressed the view that
the Ministry of Defence and the defence industry need to be more
realistic about timeframes and costs to ensure the right equipment is
procured and delivered to troops on time.
The vast number of UORs that have resulted in equipment being procured
for operations in Afghanistan, according to Arbuthnot, underlined the
“fact that that there had been insufficient forethought or planning gone
into what fleets of equipment were needed” and highlighted the need for
the Ministry of Defence to be prepared for defence activities. He
maintains that eight years in Afghanistan should factor into long term
planning, however he laments that the move away from this process of
procurement does not seem to be one in near sight.
Rt. Hon. Arbuthnot will be speaking at International Armoured Vehicles,
taking place on the 1st to the 5th February, where
he will outlining the UK's Armoured Fighting Vehicle Sector Strategy and
discussing how the UK is managing the effect of programme cuts resulting
from the continuing financial crisis.
Based at the ExCel Centre, International Armoured Vehicles is the only
event dedicated exclusively to the armoured vehicle community.
International Armoured Vehicles brings together senior military and
industry experts, providing opportunities to gain expert insights on
armoured vehicle trends, global procurement activity and lessons learnt
from the battlefield, as well as to conduct business with the world's
leading vehicle, system and component manufacturers and smaller
specialist suppliers.
Retired Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, who is chairing day two of
the conference, is certain that “International Armoured Vehicles will be
one of the key international events in 2010 for all those whose business
involves armoured vehicles, whether as senior practitioners,
experts, policy makers, designers, manufacturers or commentators.”
To find out more about the conference and exhibition, and to listen to
Defence IQ’s interview with Rt. Hon. Arbuthnot in full, pleasevisit
www.armoured-vehicles.co.uk.
About Defence IQ:
Since 2001 Defence IQ has been helping deliver critical information to
senior decision makers in the defence, aerospace and technology sectors,
tackling issues relating to the latest defence plans, requirements,
programmes and technologies and how they affect you. Defence IQ provides
senior military, government and industry representatives with
informative conferences in an informal environment, discussing the very
latest plans, requirements, programmes and technologies.
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