Fresh Safety Fears for Army's Troubled Ajax Vehicle
The British Army's problem-plagued Ajax armoured vehicle has hospitalised soldiers yet again during trials this summer, raising serious new concerns about the platform's safety. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a small number of troops required medical attention after reporting noise and vibration issues while testing three variants of the 40-tonne tracked vehicle.
Contradictory Claims Emerge
While defence procurement minister Luke Pollard insisted the Ajax is "safe to use" during a factory visit in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, sources revealed that soldiers continue to suffer injuries. "Soldiers are still being hurt," one source told Sky News, directly contradicting official statements. The minister had claimed that historical concerns about hearing damage were "firmly in the past" and that the army would not deploy unsafe equipment.
This latest incident occurred despite mitigations implemented after previous safety scandals, including additional ear protection and enhanced seating cushioning. Defence journalist Francis Tusa, who first broke the story about the summer incidents through Defence Eye, remains sceptical about whether fundamental noise and vibration issues have been properly resolved.
Long History of Safety Failures
The Ajax programme has been dogged by controversy for years. An internal review published in 2021 revealed that senior army figures and MoD officials knew about safety risks for up to two years before taking action. Potential hearing damage concerns were first raised in December 2018, yet trials continued until November 2020 before being suspended.
During that period, more than 300 soldiers underwent hearing tests, with 17 still receiving specialist care as of December 2021. The £5.5bn programme, which is delivering the army's first new armoured fighting vehicles in almost three decades, is now eight years behind schedule despite being declared operational this week.
The affected variants included the main Ajax reconnaissance model, the Ares troop carrier, and the Athena command vehicle. The MoD maintains that all armoured vehicles produce noise and vibration, insisting that Ajax operates within statutory limits. However, with export ambitions for the £10m vehicles now at stake, continued safety issues represent a significant threat to the programme's future.
