UK Begins Deliveries of Long-Delayed Ajax Armored Vehicles

Overview

• The British Army has started receiving Ajax vehicles eight years later than the original 2017 schedule, according to statements cited by The Guardian.
• Deputy Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the first 50 vehicles, priced at nearly £10 million each, are declared ready for potential use on NATO’s eastern flank.
• The programme stems from a 2014 contract for 589 vehicles with General Dynamics UK, with full delivery targeted by the end of this decade.
• Trials were previously halted after excessive vibration and noise, with reports of hearing loss and 11 servicemen placed under prolonged medical observation; separate reports noted joint swelling and difficulty firing on the move.
• Military sources described recent demonstrations as still noisy, with double hearing protection used, as analysts question the platform’s value on drone-threatened battlefields highlighted by the war in Ukraine.