Army halts use of Ajax armoured vehicles after 30 soldiers fall ill
The army halted the use of Ajax armored vehicles after soldiers became ill due to noise and vibration during a war game exercise.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said around 30 soldiers fell ill during training to use armored fighting vehicles over the weekend and an investigation was launched “out of an abundance of caution”.
After the war games on Salisbury Plain, some were vomiting from the vehicle, while others were shaking so violently that they could not control their bodies. Times newspaper.
This comes just weeks after the UK government said it was “confident” its NATO allies would be fine. interested in purchasing armored vehicles Made in South Wales.
Defense secretary Luke Pollard claimed the £6.3bn program had “put its problems behind” with Ajax declaring its initial operating capability (IOC), meaning it could deploy a fleet on operations.
The multi-million pound vehicles, built by General Dynamics in Merthyr Tydfil, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2019.
A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “This weekend, a small number of soldiers participating in an exercise involving the Ajax armored fighting vehicle reported signs of noise and vibration.” he said.
Following testing, “approximately 30 personnel showed signs of noise and vibration”.
He added that “a small number of staff” were still receiving specialist medical care, but the “vast majority” were fit for duty.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Secretary of Defense Readiness and Industry has asked the Army to halt all use of Ajax for training and exercise for two weeks, while a security investigation into this weekend’s events is ongoing.
“A small amount of testing will continue on the vehicle to ensure any issues can be identified and resolved.”
The Ajax program suffered long delays because soldiers testing the vehicles were injured by noise and vibration.
Review of £6.3bn program in 2023 highlighted “systemic, cultural and institutional problems” There are “some errors of judgment” in the Ministry of Defense and the Ajax project.
More than 160 Ajax vehicles were produced out of the targeted 589 units.
Before the two-week pause was announced, it was estimated that the program’s full operating capacity would not be reached for another four years.
Speaking on 5 November, Pollard said the Ajx vehicles had proven to be “the most advanced medium-weight armored fighting vehicle on the planet”.
“We have more than a fleet ready to go, ready to fight, ready to win, and more is on the way,” he added.
Ajax replaces the aging fleet of CVR(T) vehicles that first entered service in 1971.
