Ajax armoured vehicles arrive for British Army after long delay

The British Army has begun receiving Ajax armoured fighting vehicles, eight years behind schedule.

Their relevance on the battlefield, however, has diminished amid the growing dominance of drones increasingly effective at destroying armoured equipment, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Guardian.

London signed a contract with General Dynamics UK in 2014 for the production of 589 such vehicles.

Deliveries were initially scheduled to begin in 2017, but have only started now.

Testing of the vehicles was suspended twice due to issues such as hearing loss among crew members.

Soldiers were also found to suffer from joint swelling after operating the vehicles, which experts attributed to design flaws causing excessive vibration, making it impossible to fire while in motion.

The newspaper noted that the announcement of the Ajax deliveries comes as questions persist about their battlefield relevance, particularly given the effectiveness of inexpensive drones in modern conflicts — as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, UK Deputy Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated that the first 50 vehicles, each costing nearly £10 million ($13 million), are ready “for deployment on NATO’s eastern flank.” He acknowledged the past delivery delays in 2017, 2020, and 2021, according to the report.

In addition, Pollard declined to disclose how many soldiers still suffer from hearing problems, citing confidentiality concerns.

Over its lifetime, the Ajax programme has become one of the most scrutinised British defence procurement efforts. The programme, launched with contract awards in 2014 for 589 vehicles at an estimated £5.5 billion, faced repeated delays—initial deliveries scheduled for 2017 slipped multiple times amid technical issues and safety concerns.

A 2021 review found serious problems with noise and vibration during trials, which caused hearing damage, tinnitus and joint swelling among crews, prompting suspension of some testing phases and a formal “lessons-learned” review.

Recent material also reveals that despite its advanced digital and reconnaissance capabilities, Ajax lacks full ammunition flexibility—including anti-drone rounds—and analysts note its heavy 40-tonne weight may leave it increasingly vulnerable in modern drone-dominated battlefields.

By Jeyhun Aghazada