The Army has suspended use of its Ajax armored vehicles after soldiers became ill from the noise and vibrations during a war exercise.
Some 30 soldiers fell ill during training to use armored fighting vehicles over the weekend, and an investigation has been launched “out of an abundance of caution”, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.
Some came vomiting from the vehicles, while others shook so violently they could not control their bodies after war exercises on Salisbury Plain, according to The Times newspaper.
It comes just weeks after the UK government said it was “confident” NATO allies would be interested in purchasing the South Wales-made armored vehicles.
Defense Minister Luke Pollard said the £6.3bn program had “put its problems behind us” as Ajax declared initial operational capability (IOC), meaning it can deploy a squadron on operations.
The multi-million pound vehicles, manufactured in Merthyr Tydfil by General Dynamics, were originally due to enter service in 2019.
“This weekend, a small number of soldiers reported symptoms of noise and vibration, after having participated in an exercise with the Ajax armored fighting vehicle,” a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said.
During the tests, “around 30 people presented symptoms of noise and vibrations.”
A “small number of staff” continue to receive specialized medical care, he added, but the “vast majority” have been cleared to work.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Minister of Defense Preparedness and Industry has asked the Army to suspend all use of the Ajax for training and exercise for two weeks while a security investigation into this weekend’s events is conducted.
“A small number of vehicle tests will continue to be carried out to ensure any issues can be identified and resolved.”
The Ajax program has suffered long delays because noise and vibrations have injured soldiers testing the vehicles.
A review of the £6.3bn program in 2023 highlighted “systemic, cultural and institutional issues” at the MoD and “a series of errors of judgement” in the Ajax project.
More than 160 Ajax vehicles have been built, of the 589 planned.
Before the two-week pause was declared, it had been estimated that the program’s full operational capacity might not be reached for another four years.
Speaking on 5 November, Pollard said the Ajx vehicles had proven to be “the most advanced medium-weight armored fighting vehicle on the planet”.
“We have more than one full squad ready to go, ready to fight, ready to win, and more are in the pipeline,” he added.
Ajax is a replacement for the older fleet of CVR(T) vehicles that first entered service in 1971.
