Britain’s troubled £6.3 billion Ajax armoured vehicle program is once again under intense scrutiny after dozens of soldiers fell ill from noise and vibration exposure inside the vehicles—just weeks after the British Army declared the platform “safe” and ready for frontline service. The latest setback has raised profound questions about the vehicle’s reliability, the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) procurement culture, and the UK’s ambitious export plans for its next-generation reconnaissance fleet.
The MoD confirmed that deployment and training on the Ajax fleet were suspended for two weeks after approximately 30 soldiers reported symptoms linked to intense noise and vibration during a training exercise. According to the ministry, “around 30 personnel presented noise and vibration symptoms,” with a “small number” still receiving specialist medical care. The “vast majority” have since been cleared for duty, officials added.
The decision to halt operations came after the soldiers’ symptoms emerged during an exercise on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. British media reports described scenes of troops stumbling out of the vehicle shaking uncontrollably, while others vomited after spending 10 to 15 hours inside. The Times reported that the illnesses occurred despite the Army having recently certified the Ajax as safe.
An investigation has now been launched “out of an abundance of caution,” the MoD stated. A limited amount of controlled testing will continue during the pause to help identify and address any systemic issues. But for many observers, the crisis represents a worrying déjà vu.
This is far from the first time the Ajax fleet has triggered medical concerns. Since its development phase, the vehicle has been plagued by noise and vibration problems severe enough to cause long-term injury. As early as 2018, trials exposed risks of hearing impairment among crews, but a 2021 health and safety review revealed that senior officials had chosen not to halt the program, prioritising deadlines and budgets over troop welfare.
In 2020, the Army suspended testing after crews reported nausea, joint swelling, and disorientation linked to extreme noise levels and violent vibration. Subsequent reviews described the program’s failures as “complex and systemic,” highlighting a culture within the MoD that allowed dangerous testing conditions to persist. Attempts to rectify the issues—including modified seating, enhanced suspension, and improved hearing protection—have failed to fully resolve concerns.
In 2023, a highly critical review exposed “several errors of judgement” across the Ajax program and pointed to “institutional and cultural problems” within defence procurement. Conservative MP and former defence minister Mark Francois called the project an “absolute debacle,” citing it as an example of a “massively bureaucratic and broken” system.
The timing of the latest health scare is especially damaging given that the British Army had only recently declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for Ajax on November 6, 2025. The milestone was supposed to mark the vehicle’s long-awaited entry into service, allowing the Army to field its first fully equipped squadron.
Defence procurement minister Luke Pollard said earlier in November that the Army and General Dynamics UK had “fixed” the earlier problems, insisting the vehicle was now “safe” and battlefield-ready. “As a minister, I would not be putting it into service if I had any doubts about its safety,” he told BBC Wales.
However, reports have since emerged suggesting that IOC was declared despite persistent claims of hearing injuries and vibration-related harm among some soldiers. The MoD reportedly justified proceeding by arguing that no “systemic” fault had been found—a position now under renewed scrutiny.
The latest crisis also threatens Britain’s growing push to market Ajax internationally. The UK has been actively courting buyers, with Poland viewed as a leading prospect. London has proposed exporting an Ajax variant fitted with Poland’s ZSSW-30 unmanned turret in what could be a multibillion-pound deal.
Exports are increasingly crucial for sustaining production at General Dynamics’ facility in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Without foreign orders, the production line is expected to wind down after completing the British Army’s 589-vehicle order in 2029, placing thousands of skilled jobs at risk. The government had hoped Ajax could become a flagship UK defence export—an ambition now overshadowed by fresh safety concerns.
Developed as part of a collaboration between the British Army, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), and General Dynamics UK, the Ajax family includes six variants covering reconnaissance, mobility, command, repair, recovery, and engineering roles. Based on the ASCOD 2 platform used by Spain and Austria, the vehicle features advanced sensors, a fully digitised architecture, and a 40mm cased telescoped cannon.
Billed by the MoD as the “world’s most advanced medium-weight armoured fighting vehicle,” Ajax was intended to replace the ageing CVR(T) fleet first fielded in 1971. The vehicle promises all-weather surveillance, high lethality, and deep battlefield integration. Yet despite being contracted in 2014, Ajax remains far from fully operational.
Of the 589 vehicles ordered, only 160 have been completed to date, with final deliveries delayed until 2029.
The recurrence of vibration-related injuries has cast new doubt on whether Ajax can ever fully achieve the capabilities promised more than a decade ago. With export prospects now uncertain and confidence shaken inside the Army, the MoD faces yet another reckoning over the future of one of Britain’s most expensive and contentious military programs.
