Ajax adds to woeful litany of British Army procurement failures (Opinion)
The British Army in July 2020 received its first batch of vehicles in the Ajax family — but the programme has now hit the buffers. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
Given the latest delay to a key programme, how much confidence should there be in the underequipped British Army achieving key vehicle procurement ambitions laid out in the recent Integrated Review?
The new Ajax family of tracked armoured vehicles for the British Army has been the subject of a damning internal report suggesting it remains unfit for purpose.
Under contract since 2010, with more than £3.4 billion of public money spent on it and with only 14 out of a planned 589 vehicles delivered, Ajax looks set to be another defence procurement disaster for the UK MoD.
Reports and public testimony claim that the vehicles cannot reverse over obstacles higher than 20cm, and the crew needed to wear noise-cancelling headphones to talk to each other. Even so, there are concerns about
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Defence Notes
-
![Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?]()
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
![US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap]()
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
![NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls]()
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
![US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025]()
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.
-
![Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention]()
Haiti crisis forces Caribbean militaries to prepare for intervention
As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.
