While it appears that Boeing is moving to "checkmate" in its efforts to ensure that the KC-X contract comes to it without even the semblance of competition, last week it was announced that General Dynamics's ASCOD vehicle had prevailed in a £4 billion U.K. Army competition over BAE Systems and is the preferred bidder in the massive Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) Specialist Vehicle competition.  While there was much gnashing of teeth over the slight to the "domestic" BAE Systems in this tilt to build the new SV vehcles, the award stood, and, subject to negotiating a satisfactory contract, GD -- with 73% UK content -- will stand to fill the 580 vehicle contract.  And the FRES award is not the exception, but rather the latest in a string of U.K. MoD awards that have gone overseas. A consortium of which Sikorsky is a member was last month awarded a £5bn deal to provide S-92 search and rescue helicopters, while Boeing won a £1bn order for 22 CH-47F Chinook helicopters in December.