Ajax risk to British Army (Analysis)
The Ajax family of vehicles is designed to deliver an essential combat capability to the British Army's future brigade combat teams. (Photo: GDUK)
The leak of parts of a UK government Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) report on the British Army’s Ajax reconnaissance armoured vehicle programme has raised questions about the ability to deliver the family of platforms and what it means for the Army’s future force structure.
Some conclusions from the report released on Twitter by defence analyst Francis Tusa on 2 June indicate that the UK Infrastructure and Projects Authority has graded the Ajax project with a red rating.
This means that it believes the project to be undeliverable in its current form and needs to be re-baselined.
Because of problems with the vehicles, the report states that the project will not deliver the required number of platforms to meet planned operational deployments in 2023-24 and for Ajax to achieve full operational capability (FOC) in 2025.
Whilst this storm was brewing, Jeremy Quin MP, minister for defence procurement
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Bittium deploys AI to turn combat radios into EW sensors]()
Bittium deploys AI to turn combat radios into EW sensors
Bittiium's Integrated Spectrum Situational Awareness concept, developed in partnership with MarshallAI, allows tactical radios to act as EW sensors via a software upgrade, integrating equipment already in use with new electromagnetic capabilities, and leveraging existing networks as multi-sensor electronic warfare (EW) assets.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Savox launches MissionCore battlefield integration platform]()
Eurosatory 2026: Savox launches MissionCore battlefield integration platform
Savox Communications has unveiled MissionCore, a modular C4ISR platform designed to integrate voice, video and sensor data across existing military networks.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: RWS launches urban counter-drone ammunition range]()
Eurosatory 2026: RWS launches urban counter-drone ammunition range
RWS has introduced its Urban Drone Defence ammunition family at Eurosatory 2026, offering a kinetic counter-UAS solution designed for use in urban environments.
-
![SYSNAV unveils GPS-independent soldier tracking system]()
SYSNAV unveils GPS-independent soldier tracking system
SYSNAV has launched its LocIndoor Blue Force Tracking solution at Eurosatory 2026, providing dismounted troops with positioning capabilities in GPS-denied environments.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights]()
Eurosatory 2026: Vegvisir sets connectivity in contested environments in its sights
Maintaining connectivity in contested environments, where essential networks can easily be disrupted by enemy forces, has emerged as a key challenge in modern warfare. Estonian company Vegvisir aims to tackle that problem with a new Communications Module unveiled at Eurosatory.
