The Public Accounts Committee has said the Department is placing unrealistic expectations on soldiers using General Dynamics Ajax vehicles safely, while the underlying noise and vibration problems remain unresolved. The warning came in March 2026, after officials gave evidence while five soldiers were still under medical review.
That is why Ajax is back under scrutiny today. The tracked reconnaissance vehicle has long been one of the most troubled procurement programmes in recent years, with long delays and repeated safety concerns over noise and vibration. Those concerns already forced a halt to exercise Titan Storm in November 2025 after 33 soldiers reported symptoms linked to the vehicles.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who chairs the committee, said lawmakers were “frankly astounded” to hear officials explain that proper use of Ajax requires maintenance checks every time it is stopped. He said the advice was unreasonable and added that it was “an insult to intelligence” if soldiers were expected to rely on it in combat. His criticism went to the heart of the committee’s finding: the department says Ajax is safe when operated and maintained correctly within its design parameters, but the committee says it has not explained clearly how the exercise crossed those limits, or why troops should be expected to perform checks so often in the field.
The dispute matters because the department is still trying to move the programme forward. It is developing Ajax 2, an upgrade package that includes composite rubber tracks and automatic track tensioners, but the committee said it had not been given the likely cost. That leaves the central question unanswered for the army and for ministers: whether the next version of Ajax will finally make the vehicle fit for purpose, or simply add to the bill for a programme already damaged by safety failures.
