The British Army has paused the use of its Ajax armoured vehicles after approximately 30 soldiers became unwell from noise and vibration during a recent war game exercise on Salisbury Plain. Personnel reportedly emerged vomiting and shaking uncontrollably from the vehicles.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed a two-week suspension for the armoured fighting vehicle, stating the investigation was initiated “out of an abundance of caution”. An MoD spokesperson said: “This weekend, a small number of soldiers reported symptoms of noise and vibration, having taken part in an exercise involving the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle.” The Army “immediately stopped the exercise and proactively tested all personnel involved for symptoms”, with around 30 presenting noise and vibration symptoms.
A “vast majority” have now been cleared for duty, but a “small number of personnel continue to receive expert medical care”. The spokesperson added that Defence Minister Luke Pollard had asked for the pause while a safety investigation is carried out. “A small amount of testing of the vehicle will continue, in order to ensure that any issues can be identified and resolved.”
The Ajax programme has suffered long delays because noise and vibration have injured soldiers during testing. Originally intended to enter service in 2017, it was only declared ready for initial operating capability at the start of this month, meaning it can deploy a squadron on operations. More than 160 vehicles have been built out of an intended 589, and before the pause it was estimated that full operating capacity might not be achieved for another four years.
Ajax replaces CVR(T) vehicles, which first entered service in 1971. The latest setback follows Mr Pollard’s recent claim, made on 5 November, that Ajax had “left its troubles behind” and “proved itself in the field to be the most advanced medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle on the planet”.
