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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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The British Army has stopped using its Ajax armored fighting vehicle after soldiers became unwell from vibrations and noise.
Around 30 soldiers were affected during war games involving the NATO country's new armored vehicle in the south of England over the weekend.
Why It Matters
Problems with noise and vibration have plagued Ajax development for years, and the armored fighting vehicle has been repeatedly delayed.
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The U.K. officially rolled out the armored vehicle earlier in November, when Luke Pollard, the U.K.'s minister for defense readiness, insisted Ajax was "safe, effective and truly cutting-edge" and may be exported to British allies. The almost $13 million Ajax is manufactured by a British subsidiary of U.S. defense giant, General Dynamics.
What To Know
Some of the soldiers involved in the exercises in recent days vomited, and others experienced weakness in their legs when exiting the Ajax vehicles, Britain's The Times reported.
Pollard said at a conference in London on Tuesday that he had summoned the head of the British Army, General Sir Roly Walker, and had ordered a "pause" on all Ajax activity.
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A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said Ajax activity would be halted for two weeks "out of an abundance of caution" while an investigation is underway.
There is a "good chance" the initial fortnight-long pause may be extended as the investigation is "firmly in the finding-out stage," a military source told Newsweek.
A "small number of soldiers" had reported symptoms related to noise and vibration from the tests over the weekend, and the army had "immediately stopped the exercise," the ministry spokesperson said.
The British government said on November 6 the Ajax had reached what is known as initial operating capability (IOC), and could now be deployed to soldiers for operations. The issues clinging onto Ajax are “firmly in the past," Pollard said at the time.
The defense ministry and the military source said Pollard had requested written confirmation that Ajax was safe to operate before the IOC announcement.
British soldiers had been hospitalized with hearing problems and headaches after testing Ajax over the summer. About 10 soldiers were impacted at the time.
Tests were carried out after the incidents in the summer but "any remedies that may have been made haven't changed anything materially," the military source said.
The U.K. military tested all personnel for symptoms and most have now been medically cleared since the weekend, according to the government. Several are still receiving specialist medical care.
The severity of the injuries is expected to become clear over coming days, the military source said. The vehicles had passed sound and vibration tests, but there were more soldiers inside Ajax for longer periods of time than during previous trials this time round, they added.
Limited Ajax testing will continue "to ensure that any issues can to identified and resolved," the government said. All vehicles are currently undergoing "rigorous inspection."
Nearly 600 Ajax vehicles are being built in Wales. There are six different variants able to reach a maximum speed of roughly 70 kilometers per hour.
The government says Ajax has been extensively tested over many years and has driven the equivalent of the Earth's circumference.
What People Are Saying
"We would not be putting it in the hands of our armed forces if it were not safe," British minister for defense readiness, Luke Pollard, said at the start of November. "I’ve been reassured from the top of the army down to the folks that work on the platform that it is safe, and those lessons have been learnt.”
The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in a statement: “This pause underlines our absolute commitment to the safety of our personnel. As with any major equipment programme, we continue to test and refine the vehicle to ensure safety and performance.”
Update 11/26/2025 at 7:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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