Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has declared that the £5.5bn Ajax armoured vehicle programme, long plagued by delays and technical issues, has turned a corner. The project, which aims to deliver 589 state-of-the-art vehicles to the British Army, has faced severe criticism for running nearly 13 years without producing a single deployable vehicle.
Originally scheduled to enter service in 2017, the programme has been repeatedly delayed due to problems including excessive noise and vibration, which injured soldiers during testing. Early trial versions were also restricted to speeds under 20mph and could not fire their cannon while moving. However, Wallace expressed confidence that remedies are now in place after witnessing trials at Bovington Camp in Dorset.
Improvements include better seat cushions, new ear defenders with integrated hearing pieces for improved communication, remounted seating, and upgraded joysticks and controls. These changes aim to address the vibration and noise issues that have dogged the vehicle. The MoD considers early problems as development issues now overcome in updated versions.
So far, 37 vehicles are taking part in current trials, with 143 already built for earlier tests. A total of 414 hulls have been constructed, and 116 turrets are ready for fitting once trials conclude. The vehicles have completed user validation trials and are now undergoing reliability growth trials, though a finish date remains unconfirmed.
Wallace stated: 'I have been clear this was a troubled programme... I am confident we have turned the corner.' He expects Ajax vehicles to be active in military units about 16 months after testing completes. The Ajax will be supplied to the 3rd (UK) Division in six variants, including the turreted version with a 40mm cannon and the Ares people carrier.
