Beleaguered Ajax programme moves on with new, much later, in-service dates
Ajax will eventually give the British Army a new armoured offensive reconnaissance capability as well five other variants for different roles. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
The UK's Ajax armoured vehicle programme faces further delays, with platforms not entering service until 2025 and full operating capability not until 2028-29, causing concern for the British Army's modernisation plans.
The UK MoD has today announced the revision of in-service dates for the beleaguered Ajax programme and that payments to manufacturer General Dynamics would resume this month.
These were paused in December 2020 due to concerns over noise and vibration problems with the platform.
The vehicles will now enter service between July and December 2025, five years later than initially planned when the development and manufacturing contract was awarded in 2014.
Full operating capability is now planned for between October 2028 and September 2029, at least four years later than the British Army originally envisaged.
In the interim, regiments will
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Land Warfare
-
![K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders]()
K9 rolls on as Egypt unveils systems, Australia fires and Vietnam and Norway place orders
Hanwha Aerospace’s tracked K9 Thunder 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled howitzer has had notable success in the market over the past few years in Europe and Asia, with Poland alone ordering 316 systems.
-
![De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems]()
De-Risking the Future: Manufacturing Certainty for Unmanned Systems
How strategic manufacturing partnership solves the industrialisation triad — Scale, Compliance and Cost — for hyper-growth defence tech innovators.
-
![Battlefield mobility, made in the UK]()
Battlefield mobility, made in the UK
How does Britain ensure that we can preserve the lives of our soldiers and allies – now and in the future – with homegrown innovation and resilient domestic manufacturing? At Pearson Engineering, we are proud to be a central part of the answer to this increasingly important question.
