The British Army has paused the use of its Ajax armoured vehicles after around 30 soldiers became ill due to noise and vibration during training exercises on Salisbury Plain. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the two-week halt, ordered by Defence Minister Luke Pollard, following reports of troops vomiting and shaking uncontrollably.
The Ajax programme, valued at £6.3bn, has faced repeated delays and technical issues since its inception in 2010. Initial deliveries were expected by 2017 but were pushed back multiple times, with the first vehicles only arriving earlier this month, eight years behind schedule. Each vehicle costs nearly £10m.
Previous testing in 2020 and 2021 revealed excessive vibration and noise, leading to long-term medical monitoring for 11 soldiers due to tinnitus and hearing loss. Despite these issues, the MoD had declared initial operating capability and promoted the vehicles as 'the world's most advanced, medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle'.
Defence expert Professor Michael Clarke warned that the problems had never been properly resolved, stating, 'You can't introduce something into the battlefield if 10% of your crew are going to get ill.' He added that the Army has no alternative vehicles and cannot afford to scrap the programme.
The MoD has ordered 589 Ajax vehicles, with full delivery expected by the end of the decade. However, the latest incident raises serious questions about the programme's viability, especially as cheap drones dominate modern warfare in Ukraine.
