The British Army has been forced to halt all testing of its new Ajax armoured fighting vehicle after another soldier was injured during trials, marking a fresh setback for the delayed and costly defence programme.
Injury Halts Reliability Trials
Defence Minister Luke Pollard revealed in a written statement to parliament on Thursday 18 December 2025 that he had ordered the suspension out of 'an abundance of caution' to ensure personnel safety. The decision follows an incident on 12 December where a soldier reported suffering from vibration symptoms after riding in the vehicle.
The minister confirmed the soldier did not require hospital treatment but was receiving medical support. The vehicle involved was part of ongoing reliability growth trials (RGT) which had been allowed to continue specifically to gather data for safety investigations. However, after this latest injury, those trials have now been paused on safety grounds and will not be reassessed until the New Year at the earliest.
Ongoing Investigations into Previous Incidents
This latest incident adds to a series of problems plaguing the Ajax programme. In late November, Ajax use was paused for training and exercises after around 30 service personnel suffered noise and vibration symptoms following the Army's Titan Storm exercise.
Investigations into that 26 November incident found affected soldiers were operating across 23 vehicles. Mr Pollard stated that all vehicles involved had now undergone a 45-point inspection. More detailed inspections focusing on the potential causes of noise and vibration have been completed on 13 of the Ajax vehicles, with the remaining 10 due to be tested before findings are reported to ministers.
An army investigation and a separate probe by the Defence Accident Investigation Branch are also underway. The vehicle from the most recent complaint will undergo a thorough inspection.
A Troubled and Expensive Programme
The Ajax vehicle, built by prime contractor General Dynamics, costs nearly £10m per unit and weighs over 40 tonnes. It is billed by the Ministry of Defence as a 'next generation' fighting machine, set to replace ageing equipment from the 1970s. The Army has ordered 589 of the various models, with delivery expected by 2030.
This new injury represents a significant blow for the procurement minister, who had declared the vehicles 'demonstrably safe' in November. Following the subsequent incidents, Mr Pollard told the House of Commons he was 'disgusted' to hear of injuries to service personnel, especially after the vehicle was deemed safe.
The programme has a history of safety concerns. A 2021 internal review found that senior soldiers and MoD officials had known for up to two years that earlier faults were putting troops at risk but failed to act. Issues like potential hearing damage were first raised in December 2018, yet trials were not suspended until November 2020.
The Ministry of Defence has referred enquiries to the minister's statement, and General Dynamics has been contacted for comment.
