The “troubled” £5.5 billion programme to build the British Army’s new Ajax fighting vehicle is “turning a corner”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.
The project has been severely criticised for running for nearly 13 years without providing a single deployable Ajax, as part of a plan by the Ministry of Defence to build 589 of the state-of-the-art vehicles.
The fighting vehicles were originally intended to enter service in 2017, but delivery has been repeatedly delayed, with problems including noise and vibration issues that injured soldiers testing the vehicles.
The early trial versions also faced criticism for not being allowed to travel faster than 32kph or to fire its cannon while moving.
Speaking in the British Parliament in December, former head of the Royal Navy Lord West of Spithead said: “The Ajax programme, no matter how much one dresses it up, has been a complete and utter disaster. It has been a real shambles.”
The Ministry of Defence agreed a fixed-price contract with General Dynamics for 589 Ajax armoured vehicles, with 37 taking part in the current trials and another 143 having already been built for earlier trials.
A total of 414 hulls have been built with 116 turrets ready to be fitted once the trials are completed.
British Army’s new Apache attack helicopters undergo test flights — in pictures
The Ajax variants have now completed user validation trials, which it is understood to mean they have overcome the issues that have dogged the vehicle and they are now undergoing reliability growth trials to prepare them for the battlefield although a finish date has not yet been confirmed.
During a visit earlier this week to Bovington Camp in Dorset, Mr Wallace was shown the Ajax being put through its paces at the training ground, including the armoured vehicle heading over a knife-edge ramp aimed at pushing the vehicles to their limits.
“I have been clear this was a troubled programme — It was started in March 2010, I inherited a troubled programme, I was determined I was going to put this right, I get a weekly update,” Mr Wallace said.
“We think the remedies are in place, we are now going through the normal trials, can it go after the hill fast enough, does it do these things? It is showing great signs and we will keep on it.
“I am confident we have turned the corner on this troubled programme.”
Mr Wallace said the aim is for the Ajax vehicles to be active in military units soon after the testing programme is completed in about 16 months’ time.
“They are already training with it now, all these things take time to train how to use it, we have over 100 assembled so when we get through these trials, we will get these into the units and be back on track,” he said.
It is understood that despite the production being described by Mr Wallace as “troubled”, the ministry considers some of the early problems to be development issues which have now been overcome in updated versions.
The issues of travelling at speed and the capability to fire while on the move were only to be tested in later models.
But a redesign of contact points for the soldiers using the tanks has been carried out to overcome issues of vibration and noise.
These improvements include new ear defenders with incorporated hearing piece for better communication, remounted seating with better cushioning, and improved joysticks and controls.
The testing so far has covered 120,000 kilometres of journeys, with 9,000 rounds of ammunition fired and 50 tonnes of armour shot at to test the correct level of protection for the vehicles.
The Ajax, which will be supplied to the 3rd Division, the main war-fighting division of the British Army, comes in six different variants, including the “workhorse” Ares people carrier.
The Ajax itself is the turreted version fitted with a 40mm cannon, with other variants designed as command, repair and recovery vehicles.
Tu%20Jhoothi%20Main%20Makkaar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELuv%20Ranjan%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Shraddha%20Kapoor%2C%20Anubhav%20Singh%20Bassi%20and%20Dimple%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on animal trafficking
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets