It was supposed to be the pride of Britain’s armoured fleet, but soldiers say the £5.5 billion Ajax tank is still leaving them with headaches and hearing problems.
Just days after a defence minister declared that the troubled Ajax had “left its troubles behind,” new reports reveal troops are still suffering from excessive noise and vibration inside the state-of-the-art vehicle.
The Ajax project has been plagued by years of setbacks since its inception, and while it’s finally been cleared for initial operating capability (IOC), meaning it can officially be deployed, questions over its safety refuse to go away.
Troops ‘still being hurt’
According to reports, around half a dozen soldiers required medical checks for hearing loss and motion sickness after training exercises on Salisbury Plain this summer. They were operating the Ajax reconnaissance model, the Ares troop carrier, and the Athena command variant.
A defence source told the broadcaster that “soldiers are still being hurt,” despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that the problems had been fixed.
The claims triggered another internal investigation, but officials said they found “no systemic issues”, and the vehicle’s launch went ahead as planned.
A long and costly road
Built by General Dynamics at its South Wales factory, Ajax has been in development for more than a decade and was originally due to enter service in 2017. The programme has since ballooned to £6.3 billion, covering 589 vehicles across several variants.
So far, 165 have been delivered, but full operational capability, when all units are combat-ready, isn’t expected for another four years.
Each 40-tonne Ajax comes with a price tag of roughly £10 million, and the MoD hopes to export the vehicle to NATO allies. But continuing safety concerns could damage those ambitions.
‘Ready to fight, ready to win’
Speaking at the Merthyr Tydfil production site, Defence Minister Luke Pollard struck an upbeat tone.
“Ajax has overcome significant challenges,” he said. “We can say it has left its troubles behind. It’s the most advanced medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle on the planet, and we’ve got a full squadron ready to go, ready to fight, ready to win.”
Pollard dismissed suggestions that the vehicle might still be unsafe, insisting the Army would not deploy it unless it met all safety standards.
“We would not be putting it in the hands of our frontline forces if it were not safe,” he said. “Those vibration and noise issues are firmly in the past.”
MoD stands firm
An MoD spokesperson said all concerns raised over the summer had been reviewed and that the Ajax had passed “rigorous trials and an assured safety process.”
“All armoured vehicles produce noise and vibration, we continue to ensure these do not exceed statutory limits,” the statement read. “The safety of our personnel is a top priority.”
Still, the controversy highlights a familiar frustration: Britain’s defence procurement record. Pollard admitted lessons had to be learned, promising “huge improvements in value for money” and faster delivery of key military projects.
For the soldiers on Salisbury Plain, though, those words may offer little comfort, especially if the Army’s next-generation tank still feels like a headache waiting to happen.
