General Dynamics UK [GD] yesterday said it was awarded a contract valued at some $5.7 billion by the U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) to deliver 589 Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) platforms for the British Army to provide essential capability to the Armored Cavalry within its Army 2020 plan.

The platforms, consisting of six variants, will be delivered to the British Army between 2017 and 2024, alongside the provision of initial in-service support and training, and will serve at the heart of

SCOUT Pre-Production Prototype  Photo: Deneral Dynamics UK
SCOUT Pre-Production Prototype

Photo: Deneral Dynamics UK

the Armored Infantry Brigade structure.

General Dynamics UK topped BAE Systems some four years ago for the work. Some analysts in the U.K. thought the program would never come to fruition due to defense budget restrictions and the restructuring of the armed forces.

Scout SV represents the future of armored fighting vehicles (AFV) for the British Army, expected to provide best-in-class protection and survivability, reliability and mobility and all-weather intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and recognition (ISTAR) capabilities, the company said in a statement.

Its range of variants will allow the British Army to conduct sustained, expeditionary, full-spectrum and network-enabled operations with a reduced logistics footprint. SCOUT SV can operate in combined-arms and multinational situations across a wide-range of future operating environments.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I’m delighted that on the eve of the NATO Summit, we can announce the biggest single contract for AFVs for the British Army since the 1980s. These new vehicles are testament to the world class engineering skills in South Wales and across the U.K., helping to create the Army’s first fully digitalized armored vehicles…With the second largest defense budget in NATO, meeting NATO’s two per cent of GDP spending target and investing in new capabilities to deal with the emerging threats we are ensuring Britain’s national security, staying at the forefront of the global race and providing leadership within NATO.”

Secretary of State for Defense Michael Fallon said: “Today’s multi-billion pound contract is fantastic news for our soldiers in providing them with the most technologically advanced and versatile AFVs to overcome future threats.”

Kevin Connell, vice president of General Dynamics UK-Land Systems, said: “We are delighted that the U.K. MoD has awarded us this important contract. Scout SV provides essential capability to the British Army to allow it to dominate the battle space for years to come and it secures thousands of jobs right across the UK for at least the next decade. General Dynamics UK and our partners have worked hard over the last four years to develop a world-leading vehicle, and we will maintain that same work ethic to deliver 589 SCOUT SV platforms to the British Army on-time and on-budget.”

Scout SV has been developed at General Dynamics UK’s AFV design and engineering center in Oakdale, South Wales, maintaining the U.K.’s sovereign expertise in the capability.

This contract directly safeguards or creates up to 1,300 jobs across the program’s U.K. supply chain, with 300 of these at General Dynamics UK’s Oakdale site.