Future of the Ajax programme

Ajax is the Army’s armoured cavalry programme. This is for a family of six variants of tracked vehicles based on one common platform. The Army says it will be its first fully digitalised platform, with advanced sensors and communications systems to gather and share information in real-time with other units. The Army is buying 589 vehicles across all six variants, which include reconnaissance (Ajax), personnel carrier (Ares), command and control (Athena), engineer reconnaissance (Argus), and recovery and repair vehicles (Atlas and Apollo).

Estimated to cost £6.2 billion, it is the biggest single order for a UK armoured vehicle in more than 20 years and will replace the Army’s ageing fleet of tracked reconnaissance vehicles. The vehicles are assembled at prime contractor General Dynamics’s facility in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales.

When the programme began in 2010 the initial expectation was for it to enter service around 2017. However, the vehicle’s entry into service has been repeatedly delayed and the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) management of the programme criticised by the National Audit Office, the Defence select committee and the Public Accounts committee.

In 2021 issues with excessive noise and vibration emerged, leading to concerns for the health of personnel operating the vehicles. Payments to the contractor were subsequently paused while design modifications were implemented. A health and safety review was also commissioned by the MOD.

Independent lessons learned review (2022-2023)

In May 2022 an independent Lessons Learned Review was also commissioned by the MOD. The terms of reference for the review were, however, limited to lessons and recommendations to help the MOD deliver major programmes more effectively in the future. The review did not examine wider issues such as the choice of vehicle, the nature and causes of technical problems and whether the blame for delays lay with the MOD or the contractor. Led by Clive Sheldon KC, that review reported in May 2023 (PDF). The report concluded that “a number of errors of judgment were made at various points” during the programme, and that “‘optimism bias’ [had] infected some of the thinking of senior individuals working on the programme”. Sir Clive said that the failures identified were “systemic and institutional”.

A revised delivery schedule

In March 2023, the then Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk, announced that, following the completion of design modifications, user trials of Ajax had recommenced, payments to the contractor would resume and that a new in-service date for Ajax had been set at July-December 2025. Full operating capability was expected between late 2028 and autumn 2029.

The platform is expected to remain in service until 2055. The army will continue to use the Warrior tracked infantry vehicle until Ajax enters service.

Recent developments

Initial Operating Capability for Ajax was announced in early November 2025. On 25 November, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard announced, however, that the use of Ajax for training and exercising was being paused after a number of personnel reported noise and vibration-related symptoms during a training exercise. Reliability Growth Trials were also subsequently suspended after further reports of safety concerns.

The Ajax programme is on hold and currently subject to three separate investigations: an investigation by the Defence Accident Investigation Board and a separate investigation by the Army Safety Investigation Team. The MOD has also announced a ministerial review and confirmed that an independent group of experts will be brought in to “add expertise and external challenge” to the work being undertaken.

At the time of writing, those investigations remain ongoing. In a statement on 18 December, the Minister said that the investigations continued “at pace” and that they must be given “the time and space required to ensure that all information and evidence is considered”. He went on to confirm that the findings of the investigations will be “closely aligned” to decisions in the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, which will set out the MOD’s equipment and investment priorities for the next ten years.

On 7 January 2026, the Minister said the House would be updated “in due course”.