AJAX enters UK service after £5.5B delays and safety issues

The British Army’s AJAX armored reconnaissance vehicle, developed by General Dynamics UK and based on the ASCOD 2 platform, has finally been declared ready for limited service after an eight-year delay and significant cost overruns. Initially contracted in 2010 to replace the aging CVR(T) fleet, the program aimed to deliver 589 vehicles with advanced armament and sensors capable of engaging targets from up to 8 km away. However, only about 165 vehicles have been delivered to date, with full operational capability expected by 2029–2030. Each AJAX unit now costs around £10 million, pushing total program costs between £5.5 billion and £6.3 billion. The program has faced numerous technical and safety challenges, including suspension issues, inability to reverse over certain obstacles, excessive noise, and severe vibration problems that caused hearing damage and nausea among soldiers. These health concerns led to the suspension of prototype trials in 2021 and the implementation of double hearing protection for crews. Despite