General Dynamics Ajax
The Ajax, formerly known as the Scout SV (Specialist Vehicle), is a group of armoured fighting vehicles being developed by General Dynamics UK for the British Army. It has suffered serious development and production difficulties.
| Ajax | |
|---|---|
Pre-production prototype of the turreted Ajax variant | |
| Type | Armoured fighting vehicle |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Dynamics UK |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics UK |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 38 tonnes with growth potential to 42 tonnes |
| Length | 7.62 m (25 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in) |
| Height | 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 3+7 passengers for PMRS variant |
Main armament | 40 mm (1.6 in) CTA International CTAS40 cannon |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm L94A1 coaxial chain gun Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapon Station (UK testing with Javelin ATGM) |
| Engine | MTU Friedrichshafen V8 engine 600 kW (800 bhp) |
| Transmission | RENK 6 speed HSWL 256B |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
| Maximum speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
The Ajax is a development of the ASCOD armoured fighting vehicles used by the Spanish Armed Forces and Austrian Armed Forces. The vehicles were originally developed by Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug and Santa Bárbara Sistemas in the early 1990s. Both companies were purchased by General Dynamics in the early 2000s.
In 2010, General Dynamics UK was selected as the winner of the Future Rapid Effect System contract with the ASCOD Common Base Platform, beating BAE Systems' CV90 proposal. The Ajax vehicles were to be procured in a number of variants, initially planned to be in blocks, with the first vehicles planned to be delivered in 2017. Delays meant that as of January 2020, initial operating capability was expected in July 2020.
In November 2020, trials were halted over excessive noise and vibration. In September 2021 Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, in a written response stated that dynamic testing and training on Ajax was suspended and that "it is not possible to determine a realistic timescale for the introduction of Ajax vehicles into operational service". Limited trials resumed in October 2022, with extended trials to last possibly until early 2025.
In a statement in March 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that full operating capability was expected between October 2028 and September 2029, when the army has trained and converted forces to the vehicle.