Warrior Upgrade Programme
Upgrades already fitted to Warriors in British Army service include the Bowman Communications System and Thales Battle Group Thermal Imaging (BGTI) night sights. Future upgrades will include a digital fire control system and improved power pack.
The British Army intends upgrading its Warriors to extend their service life to 2025. The Warrior Capability Sustainment Program (WCSP) will involve upgrading 643 of its Warriors with the Warrior Modular Protection System (WMPS) and Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture (WEEA). Within that group, 449 vehicles will also be fitted with a new turret and weapon system under the Warrior Fightability Lethality Improvement Program (WFLIP). The remainder will be designated as Armoured Battlefield Support Vehicles (ABSV), will lack turrets and carry out field repair and recovery roles using winch and crane attachments.
Under the WFLI program, the RARDEN cannon, which lacks stabilisation and is manually loaded with three-round clips, will be replaced by a stabilised 40 mm weapon developed by Anglo-French firm CTA International and firing Cased telescoped ammunition. This weapon will also equip the FRES-SV reconnaissance vehicle which will be part of the Future Rapid Effect System.
BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin competed for the WCSP contracts. Lockheed Martin's WFLIP upgrade was based on the existing Warrior turret. BAE Systems designed a new turret. In March 2011, it was announced that Lockheed Martin had effectively won the competition to develop both the WFLIP and FRES turrets. Severe budgetary pressures made it uncertain whether these defence projects were to be delayed or curtailed but it was announced in October 2011 that the Warrior upgrades would proceed at a cost of one billion pounds, extending the service life of the Warrior to 2040 and beyond.
Read more about this topic: Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle
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