Army's £6.3bn Ajax Vehicle Under Scrutiny

A damning safety report has revealed that the British Army’s £6.3 billion Ajax armored vehicle may be exposing troops to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and other toxic fumes. The report details a complex combination of mechanical defects, faulty equipment, and potential leaks as contributing factors.

Incident on Salisbury Plain

The investigation was prompted by an incident during Exercise Titan Storm on Salisbury Plain last November. 33 soldiers operating 23 Ajax vehicles experienced debilitating symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, numbness, hearing loss, muscle pain, and pins and needles.

Program History and Challenges

The Army initially planned to deploy 589 Ajax vehicles as the core of its armored strike brigades for the next three decades. However, the program has faced consistent setbacks. Originally intended for service entry in 2017, the 40-ton vehicles have encountered numerous issues, leading former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to describe the project as “ridiculous.”

Previous Issues

Initial trials were halted due to reports of hearing damage among soldiers, requiring assessments for 310 personnel. The current safety investigation identified a “multi-factor combination” of problems, including faulty headsets, mechanical defects, potential missing air filters, and leaks.

Report Findings: A Complex Issue

Inspectors found issues with vehicle tracks, loose or missing engine deck bolts, and unreliable power units. These problems collectively contribute to the accumulation of harmful carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide fumes inside the vehicle.

Safety Concerns

The report emphasizes that the Ajax vehicle is not inherently unsafe when properly maintained and operated, but the convergence of these factors can create conditions conducive to illness. Faulty communication headsets and configuration errors are also believed to have contributed to noise-induced hearing injuries.

Expert Commentary and Future Outlook

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former tank regiment commander, highlighted the importance of properly installed filters, stating it’s a readily fixable issue. The Ministry of Defence was scheduled to provide an update to Parliament on the Ajax project last Thursday, but the announcement has been postponed until early this week.

Funding Implications

Sources indicate a complete cancellation of the program is unlikely, but the safety report significantly increases the likelihood of the MoD needing to allocate millions more pounds to address the identified problems. The MoD maintains that the safety of its personnel is paramount and will provide an update to Parliament shortly.