BAE FRES SV

[Would you like to see this in-game?]
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters
 BAE FRES SV

Vehicle design history

The BAE FRES SV was a prototype recon vehicle, developed by BAE systems for the British Army’s Future Rapid Effect System program (FRES). The FRES SV was as the name suggests competing for the Scout Vehicle (SV) role, with the intention of the vehicle replacing the Scimitar CVR(t), then in service. The trials for the FRES SV started in 2004, before coming to an end in march of 2010, when the army selected the competing ASCOD design from GDLS, which would go on to be named the AJAX.

Despite this setback for the design, the FRES SV is an interesting vehicle, designed to fulfil one of the five families of vehicles the British army was seeking to acquire. The common base platform of the FRES SV was the previously proven CV90 chassis, which was selected to provide a high level of protection in the modern battlefield, along with ease of implementation, as the base components had been previously proven by numerous military clients. The base CV90 was modified by both a reduction in physical size and weight, along with modification to allow weight growth margins for potential armour packages in the future. This modular approach would allow the FRES SV to change its armour needs based on possible threats, in theory creating the best-protected reconnaissance vehicle in its class, with mine protection comparable to an MBT, whilst still being able to be carried in a A400M transport plane.

In addition to protection from threats, the CV90 also possesses an unusually low thermal and noise signature, allowing it to perform long periods of silent watch, making it well suited to the scout role. The design differs from the base model though with the addition of modular armour side skirts for increased protection, along with a MTIP-2 manned turret fitted with the CT40 automatic cannon, which fires case-telescopic rounds, along with a coax machine gun. This turret is also fitted with modular armour similar to the hull. The turret itself, was designed with enhanced protection of the barrel and cradle in mind, as its well-thought-out design eliminates the potential weak spot in the vehicle’s frontal arc. The turret also possesses four electro-optical devices composed of two fixed day/night sights, a gunner’s main sight that can be slaved to the commander’s line of sight, and a third stabilized multi-sensor for observation from a defilade position. in the hull the driver is fitted with a thermal sight device, allowing continued visibility at night, through dust, smoke and fog.

Overall this design seemed pretty successful, and though doing well in trials, the FRES SV would not go on to win the FRES competition, instead losing out to the AJAX, which has yet to still enter service, marking a continuation to an ongoing saga that started with the FLAV program in the mid-1980s.

Vehicle specification

image
image
image
image

Additional historical photos:
image
image
image
image


image

Sources

4 Likes

+1 Would be a fantastic high tier IFV for the UK and one i’d look forward to seeing.

1 Like

We need it

2 Likes

+1

1 Like

So if this gets added would it be the same BR as the Ajax or slightly below?

1 Like

significantly better than ajax, (although that is not a high bar to beat) - the MOD made unreasonable requests and BAE wanted a bigger slice of the pie with a ships engine contract - and they could not have both…

incidentally after this the hull was shipped to Poland and stuck under this fancy cardboard to make the PL01 and then stirpped back and sent back home

First you take our Gripens and now you want our CV90? I’m appalled by such blatant greed
(this is a joke)

Seems like would be a fun vehicle, assume it would function exactly the same way as the CV90 but unsure how the gun works so could be better
tried doing some research for it before and possibly make a suggestion but finding a lot of the vital stuff seemed kinda difficult
+1

1 Like

Heard that the PL01 was inspired by the CV90120 but never heard the FRES being used for it, interesting
is the PL01 completely scrapped now or was there more plans for it? thought it was a rather cool design

yup scrapped, its just a shell - over the FRES hull, it went back and used for other tests and projects - wasnt a 120 under it - just fres

yeah i’m aware that the 120 wasn’t used for it, think it was just an inspiration from what i remember
Thought they made the hull themselves rather than using a pre-existing one

Do you happen know what the current tests/projects for it is?

Probably lower if it’s a recreation of the demonstrator. The thermals on the demonstrator were lower resolution than what was eventually selected for the vehicle that emerged from the FRES Scout SV program: Ajax.

BAE showcased the CV90 demonstrator with a Selex/Leonardo JANUS panoramic sight that produces 640×512 resolution imagery, and Thales STAG DA gunner’s sight, which was a dual-axis stabilised version of the Warrior’s single-axis BGTI sight. STAG had either a Catherine FC (scanning array) or Catherine XP (staring array). Both generate 768×575 images.
It also still had the Safran SAVAN-11 gunner’s sight from their Warrior MTIP turret. Most likely SAVAN was the functional sight tied to the FCS on the CV90 FRES demonstrator (as it was on the Warrior demonstrator) and the STAG sight was just a mockup due to the UK MoD preferring Thales sights that can be built at facilities in the UK. IIRC SAVAN-11 is also 640×512.

Selection of Thales Orion and DNGS-T3 sights with the Catherine MP 1280×1024 resolution imager for the “Scout SV” program didn’t occur until later (2011), and they went on to equip Ajax. Same sights are now in Challenger 3 as well.
Had it been selected, CV90 would likely also have had these sights instead. But they weren’t demonstrated on BAE’s vehicle so we have no idea how it would have been integrated.

Oooh, that looks really good

+1 Would definitely be good at high tier, GB needs more Light Vehicles. This one’s missing an ATGM, so i guess it would be around 8.0? Depending on the strength of the gun it could go up but i don’t think it would be “top-tier”

The gun would make is 10.0

I did a quick check online, it says it can pen 140mm RHAe at 1500 meters. Idk if that would be 10.0 but yeah higher than 8.0 for sure

1 Like

Probably same experience as the Strf9040C which is currently 10.0,
I’d guess it has slightly more armor and overall covers more area so that might take it up to 10.3 and depending on how good the gun is 10.7

But overall it’s still an IFV with light armor and the strf9040C armor still gets the job done even if it has less protection so not sure how effective the change in armor would be (but there’s also the Strf9040C REMO to be added)

Don’t see it going to 11.0 or above unless there’s some other advantages that ain’t mentioned

Edit:
Thinking about it, if the 2S38 can be 10.0, so can this thing
Also while he hasn’t mentioned ammo (or maybe i’m blind) the gun can shoot air-burst so it can function a bit as an SPAA, not sure if it has IRST tho

1 Like

Yeah british IFV at 10.0 would be amazing since we’re lacking any kind of “other” vehicle at that BR except the challengers.

1 Like