PM announces billion-pound upgrade to armoured vehicles
Warrior infantry fighting vehicles will remain in service to beyond 2040.
The Prime Minister has today announced that the Army’s Warrior infantry fighting vehicle will benefit from a £1 billion upgrade.
David Cameron was joined by the new Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and the Head of the Army to announce that the vehicles will be fitted with an improved turret and new stabilised 40mm cannon, enabling them to fire while on the move.
The upgraded vehicles will also benefit from a new standard armour mounting system, providing the flexibility to fit different types of armour and adapt to future protection technology.
The Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme will extend the vehicles’ service life to beyond 2040, ensuring that Warrior will continue to play an essential role in future land operations.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) plans to award a contract to Lockheed Martin UK for the demonstration and manufacture of the upgraded vehicles. The award of this contract will create and sustain around 600 British jobs across the country within Lockheed Martin UK and its supply chain.
This morning, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and the Chief of the General Staff met with soldiers who have used Warrior on operations and who are likely to benefit from the upgraded vehicle in the future.
Announcing the upgrade, the Prime Minister said:
This shows the concrete benefits of the fundamental changes we have introduced to modernise our Armed Forces and to bring the future Defence Budget back into balance. It means we are now able to ensure our soldiers have greater flexibility and firepower with these upgraded armoured vehicles.
Warrior has performed outstandingly well in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and now Afghanistan, and this programme will enable it to remain effective to the 2040s. It’s also good news for British business: supporting the UK’s defence industry and providing 600 jobs from Farnborough to Glasgow.
This announcement follows the Government’s recent commitment to a one-per-cent-a-year real-term increase in the MOD’s equipment and support budget from 2015 - the equivalent of an extra £3 billion.
The Warrior has been in service with the British Army since 1989 and has distinguished itself on the battlefield throughout its extensive deployments, including in Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq, and it continues to do so in Afghanistan. The upgraded Warriors are expected to enter service by 2020, with the first deliveries beginning in 2018.