General Dynamics shows Piranha in action at FRES Trials

11th July 2007

General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited has trained British Army crews and handed over the Piranha Evolution vehicle to the customer in a key milestone for the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) programme. The Trials will assess candidates for the FRES Utility Vehicle at the Armoured Trials and Development Unit in Bovington, and will run until September 2007.

The Piranha Evolution, which will serve as the basis for the development of the Piranha V, will show its capabilities in the competition to select the UV Design for the British Army’s next generation of medium weight Armoured Fighting Vehicles. Piranha V will utilise cutting-edge materials and technologies to deliver an optimum balance of survivability, mobility and capacity, tailored to meet the needs of British soldiers in the field.

The General Dynamics team was down-selected in June as one of three contenders to provide the FRES Utility Vehicle Design. The team offers a unique British capability in the integration of Armoured Fighting Vehicles at specialist in-country facilities; together with a proven track record in levering overseas technology for the benefit of the UK. The European 8x8 Piranha vehicle family is designed by MOWAG, part of General Dynamics European Land Systems. There are over 9000 earlier variants of Piranha in service around the world, with vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan currently saving lives on operations.

Dr Sandy Wilson, President and Managing Director of General Dynamics UK, said: “We are pleased to demonstrate what the General Dynamics team has to offer the FRES programme. Piranha is a proven utility vehicle family with high reliability and a defined growth path, offering tremendous potential. Piranha can provide early capability and key intellectual property will reside firmly in the UK, enabling the system to be continually adapted to respond rapidly to changing threats. Our FRES offering, Piranha V, will offer state of the art protection and survivability. It will harness both the global capabilities of General Dynamics and our unique in-country experience in successfully integrating the British Army’s vehicle fleet from the analogue to the digital age.”

General Dynamics has already delivered a successful FRES Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP) using its award-winning Advanced Hybrid Electric Drive (AHED) vehicle and welcomes continued involvement in this key British Army programme.