ST. LOUIS, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The British government said Friday Boeing and Thales UK had been picked to integrate the FRES program.
The British Ministry of Defense "announced that Thales UK in partnership with Boeing, through its Boeing Defense (British) subsidiary, have been selected as the preferred bidder for the role of System of Systems Integrator -- SOSI -- for the Future Rapid Effect System -- FRES -- program," Boeing said in a statement Friday.
"This is the most excellent news," said Alex Dorrian, CEO of Thales UK. "Thales and our partner Boeing are absolutely committed to helping the Ministry of Defense achieve success in FRES, which is the (British) Army's highest priority equipment program. We are ready to build upon the rapid decision made by the Ministry of Defense to drive forward with pace to the successful delivery of the program."
"Our FRES team builds upon the proven track record of both companies in the successful delivery of complex programs, including those at the system of systems level," Dorrian said.
"Underpinning expertise includes capability-based acquisition, commercial innovation, the management of complex supply chains and world-class systems integration skills. The team also has excellent domain knowledge of the (British) defense acquisition process and of the land environment, including armored fighting vehicles," he said.
Dennis Muilenburg, vice president and general manager, Boeing Combat Systems, said, "Today's announcement is a positive reflection of the world-class capabilities that Boeing and Thales are bringing to bear to successfully execute this important program, and our commitment to fully support the intent of the (British) Defense Industrial Strategy.
"We have developed a strong and collaborative relationship within our integrated team, a characteristic that we will bring to our relationship with the Ministry of Defense for the System of Systems Integrator for FRES," Muilenburg said.
Boeing said the FRES program would "provide the British Army with a family of medium-weight, network-enabled, air-deployable armored vehicles to meet up to 16 battle space roles."
