DSEI 2025: General Dynamics firms up Ajax for potential British Army IFV requirement

General Dynamics UK has developed the Ajax Next Generation IFV, a platform unveiled on the opening day of DSEI 2025, to potentially replace the Warrior IFV in the future.

The Warrior is beyond its service life after the axe fell on Lockheed Martin’s WCSP. The British infantry will now have to rely on the ARTEC Boxer 8×8 multi-role armoured vehicle (MRAV).

This is only just entering service and is fitted with a remote weapon station (RWS) armed with a stabilised 12.7mm machine gun (MG) with the option of adding the Javelin anti-tank missile.

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The Warrior itself is inadequate for modern warfare in terms of user comfort, safety and armament, which is the slow firing and unstabilised 30mm RARDEN cannon and 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun.

The new platform is based on the Ajax Common Base Platform (CBP) optimised for its new mission with a slightly longer hull. It is fitted with a remote-controlled turret armed with the CTAI 40mm Case Telescope Weapon and a 7.62mm co-axial MG.

The UK has a large stock of the 40mm weapons following the cancellation of the WCSP as a total of 515 weapons have been delivered, with many stored in Donnington.

The 40mm cannon has been upgraded to fire the latest natures of 40mm ammunition including air bursting munitions.

This version would have a crew of three consisting of commander, driver and optionally dismountable operator/gunner plus up to eight dismounts seated in the rear troop compartment.

Ajax IFV also features an advanced dual cockpit crew station. This includes the Ajax Electronic Architecture which features 360° situational awareness, turret and weapon station and sighting system control, integrated C4I and Battle Management System to name but a few.

The suspension has also been upgraded and now includes a self-adjusting track tensioner. The original steel tracks have been replaced by composite rubber tracks which are lighter and offer less vibration and therefore a better ride for the crew.

The armour package is of modular design, and two twin launchers for the Elbit Systems Iron Fist active protection system are fitted on the roof.

In a statement, General Dynamics UK said: “This is an export-ready platform that has been designed and built in Britain with the potential to shape future NATO operations and future partnerships.”

In addition to the Ajax Next Generation IFV, General Dynamics UK also showed the Blackjax Next-Generation Technology Demonstrator which includes spiral development in a number of key areas to increase its capability.

On the survivability front this includes the first application of the UK Ministry of Defence Modular Integrated Protection System. This system features the Elbit Systems Iron Fist hard kill effectors and the Elbit Stormguard multi-mission radar/hostile fire locator.

While General Dynamics UK showed these two new members of Ajax, the company is still catching up on the major British Army contract for the Ajax family of vehicles. This programme should have already been delivered by now to replace the Alvis Scorpion family of vehicles which has been phased out of service.

Its intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance suite includes the DragonSense automatic local situational awareness detection system, TrueSight which is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered camouflage detection system and Lycon which is an AI-powered target tracking system.

Shephard’s DSEI 2025 coverage is sponsored by:

Related Programmes in Defence Insight

Boxer (MIV) [UK]

Ajax [UK]

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

Warrior

Boxer

Ajax