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Introduction
The Ajax is a family of next-generation armoured fighting vehicles developed by General Dynamics UK for the British Army, based on the ASCOD 2 platform. Designed to replace the ageing CVR(T) fleet, Ajax incorporates advanced protection, mobility, and all-weather ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) capabilities. Its most distinctive feature is the Anglo-French 40mm Case Telescoped Armament (CTA40) cannon mounted on the turreted variant, the Ajax itself, while non-turreted versions are armed with lower-calibre remote weapon stations. The vehicle’s modular electronic architecture and surplus payload capacity were intended to make it future-proof, adaptable for evolving technologies and threats.
Development of Ajax has, to put it lightly, been protracted and troubled, following earlier cancelled UK armoured programmes such as TRACER. General Dynamics UK secured the contract in 2010, beating out the CV90 and other competitors, with an order placed in 2014 for 589 vehicles across six variants, including reconnaissance (Ajax), personnel carrier (Ares), command post (Athena), engineer reconnaissance (Argus), recovery (Atlas), and repair (Apollo). Production was moved to South Wales, and the programme was expected to deliver vehicles from 2017 with Initial Operating Capability (IOC) by 2020. However, repeated delays, shifting requirements, and technical challenges meant these targets were missed. The programme was reorganised into capability “drops” to phase in improvements, and final Full Operating Capability (FOC) is now scheduled for 2028–2029.
One of the most significant setbacks involved excessive noise and vibration detected during trials beginning in 2017. These problems caused injuries to crews, damaged onboard electronics, and halted testing in late 2020. Although temporary fixes and resets allowed trials to resume in 2022, the issues highlighted deep flaws in the MoD’s procurement process. Parliamentary committees described Ajax as a case study in chronic mismanagement, alongside other troubled UK defence projects. The Sheldon Review of 2023 identified long-standing safety reporting failures, communication breakdowns, and excessive optimism within the programme.
Despite these difficulties, the programme has recently shown signs of recovery. By 2024, Ajax vehicles had completed cold-weather trials in Sweden and firing-on-the-move exercises in the UK, while multiple variants had been delivered to Army units. In January 2025, more than eight years behind schedule, production vehicles entered service with frontline regiments. However, shortly after the Ajax passed Initial Operating Capability with the British Army, further serious problems began to surface, with numerous crewman suffering from noise and vibration caused injuries during exercises. The future of the Ajax reconnaissance vehicle remains uncertain.
On September 9th at DSEI 2025, General Dynamics UK unveiled a new variant of the Ajax family, the Ajax IFV. This is based on a lengthened Ares chassis, with a rear troop compartment capable of carrying up to 8 dismounts. The armament remains the same as the Ajax, the CTA40mm, but with Javelin FnF ATGMs under armour, the Iron Fist APS system, and an unmanned turret, with the crew in the hull. The turret is heavily influenced by the design and development work done for the Warrior CSP. Being extremely new, some details of this vehicle are yet to be confirmed, but this suggestion will be updated as new information is released.
Specifications
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Sources
Spoiler
DSEI 2025 Exhibit Information
New Ajax IFV variant unveiled at DSEI 2025
General Dynamics premieres combat variant of Ajax vehicle
https://www.army-technology.com/news/dsei-2025-armoured-fighting-vehicles-in-the-spotlight/
DSEI 2025: GDUK and LMUK present Ajax IFV concept vehicle - European Security & Defence
DSEI 2025: Lockheed Martin unveils uncrewed turret for UK - Calibre Defence