All Ajax trials halted after another soldier injured by vibration, MPs told

All trials of the Army’s new Ajax armoured vehicle have been paused after another soldier suffered vibration injuries, a defence minister said.

Use of the £6.3 billion vehicle for military training was halted last month after around 30 soldiers became ill due to noise and vibration while using the Ajax on a training exercise.

Other trials of the vehicle continued, including some at Bovington, in Dorset, intended to provide data for investigations into November’s incident.

But those trials have now also been paused after a soldier reported suffering from vibration symptoms on December 12.

Announcing the pause in a written statement to Parliament on Thursday, defence minister Luke Pollard said the soldier was being given medical support but had not needed hospital treatment.

Mr Pollard said the vehicle involved was not one of the 23 that took part in the exercise in November, which are currently being tested to determine the cause of the noise and vibration issues.

He said: “This additional report of an injury is a serious concern to me so, out of an abundance of caution, and to ensure the safety of our personnel, I have directed a pause on all Ajax trials.

“This is in addition to the ongoing pause for training and exercising.”

Mr Pollard added that he would consider whether trials could be restarted in the new year.

The incident in November, during Exercise Titan Storm in Hampshire, is the subject of four separate investigations, and Mr Pollard said he had discussed the issue with Ajax’s manufacturer, General Dynamics, last week.

Ajax was originally meant to enter service in 2017, but the project has suffered a series of delays and been plagued by noise and vibration issues that injured soldiers testing the vehicles.

At the start of November, however, Mr Pollard said Ajax had “left its troubles behind” as he declared its initial operating capability, meaning it could be deployed on operations.

He later told the Commons Defence Committee he had made this declaration after receiving written assurances from the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, and the then-national armaments director, Andy Start, that it was safe.

Responding to the news, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: “With the Ajax programme being beset by repeated failures and significant delays, Ministers need to confirm that taxpayers will not be left to bear the cost of these failures, and that financial responsibility will rest with the developer General Dynamics.

“If the project does end up being scrapped, the Government must ensure that the 400 workers currently employed on the programme in Merthyr Tydfil will receive full support and that the site will be prioritised for future military development opportunities.”