Ajax Armoured Vehicle Trials to Resume Cautiously After Soldier Illness Investigation

Trials of the Army's troubled Ajax armoured vehicles will resume "cautiously", with the defence minister acknowledging more work is needed to "rebuild confidence" in the transportation. Testing of the Ajax was paused last November after about 30 soldiers reported illness linked to noise and vibration during training exercise. Defence minister Luke Pollard said an investigation found the symptoms were likely caused by "a combination of factors" including technical issues, training variability, cold exposure and air quality. He said all affected personnel had since returned to duty, with most suffering only "temporary symptoms". The multimillion pound Ajax vehicles are made in Merthyr Tydfil by General Dynamics, which employs around 700 people. At the start of the year, Mr Pollard faced pressure from MPs to provide clarity and act quickly in order to protect jobs in south Wales. However, in February, he declined to set a timeline on the investigation into the programme. GD UK said it welcomed the conclusions of the Army safety investigation team and the decision by the MoD to resume acceptance and operation of Ajax vehicles under a "phased and carefully controlled approach". "The safety of soldiers is, and has always been, our highest priority," it said. "GD UK has confidence in the performance and protection Ajax is designed to provide. It is the world's most advanced, fully digitised, armoured fighting vehicle and ensures soldiers see and understand the battlefield faster than any adversary." It added: "We remain committed to working in partnership with the Army and MoD to restore the UK's war readiness and help support the United Kingdom's role in Nato." In a letter to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Pollard said he had "agreed to restart the acceptance of vehicles from General Dynamics", while acknowledging the system had "not been good enough" for soldiers. He said "strict new controls" are in place to improve the user experience, adding soldiers' feedback is "shaping much of what we do next". Trials will resume in phases, beginning with a small number of vehicles being tested under "very controlled circumstances". Pollard added: "While we are proceeding cautiously with Ajax, we know we have more to do to rebuild confidence in the vehicle, and we do not underestimate the work still ahead."