Soldiers had to go to hospital this summer because of hearing and other issues after trialling the British Army’s Ajax armoured vehicle, raising fresh fears about the problem-plagued platform.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a “small number” of troops had reported noise and vibration concerns following trials on three variants of the 40-tonne, tracked vehicle.
A spokesperson said an investigation was carried out and “no systemic issues were found”.
However, sources signalled that worries remain over the safety of personnel who are required to operate for long hours inside the army‘s new war-fighting machine.
“Soldiers are still being hurt,” one source said.
The revelation comes after Luke Pollard, the defence procurement minister, insisted that the platform – which was this week finally declared ready for operations, eight years behind schedule – is safe to use and historical concerns about hearing being harmed were “firmly in the past”.
“We would not be putting it in the hands of our armed forces, if it were not safe,” he told reporters on Wednesday during a trip to a sprawling factory in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, where the vehicles, made by the US company General Dynamics, are being assembled.
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“I’ve been reassured from the top of the army down to the folks that work on the platform that it is safe, and those lessons have been learned,” he said.
The UK hopes to export Ajax vehicles – which cost about £10m – to other countries.
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Any suggestion that the platform is still causing harm to soldiers would be a serious blow to such ambitions.
While a big, tracked vehicle like Ajax – which is as heavy as a Russian tank – is bound to generate noise and vibrations, the army has been criticised in the past for failing to alert ministers to concerns about the impact on troops of exposure to such sounds and jolts.
An internal review published in 2021 found that senior soldiers and Ministry of Defence officials had known for up to two years that earlier faults with the Ajax vehicle had been putting troops at risk of harm, but they failed to act.
The health and safety report revealed that issues such as potential hearing damage had first been raised in December 2018, but trials were not suspended until November 2020.
At that time, more than 300 soldiers were offered hearing tests, with 17 still under specialist care as of December 2021.
The scandal put a spotlight on the programme when trials resumed two years later.
By then, mitigations had been put in place to protect the troops that have to operate the machine, including additional ear protection and more cushioning on the seating.
However, Francis Tusa, a leading defence journalist who writes for the specialist online publication Defence Eye, said he does not believe that the fundamental issue of too much noise and vibration was ever resolved.
“They are making the best out of a bad job,” he told Sky News.
Defence Eye was the first to reveal that troops had again experienced hearing and motion sickness problems during the summer trials.
“A lot of people threw up,” Tusa said, adding he had been told about half a dozen service personnel went to hospital for checks.
The Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “Safety of our personnel is a top priority. Ajax has been through rigorous trials and an assured safety process, and the evidence shows it is safe to operate.
“Where concerns were raised over the summer, these were investigated by a safety team and no systemic issues were found. All armoured vehicles produce noise and vibration – we continue to ensure these do not exceed statutory limits.”
Out of the “small number” of soldiers who raised noise and vibration concerns, some attended a military medical centre.
Those affected had been conducting trials on the main Ajax variant of the vehicle, which is designed for reconnaissance and strike operations, as well as the Ares model, which is being used to carry troops – potentially a crucial role.
The other affected version was the Athena model, used as a command hub to relay information and orders to and from other units in a fight.
It is claimed that the Ajax vehicle does not produce any more noise than the army’s existing tracked vehicles, which comprise the Challenger 2 tank and the Warrior fighting vehicle.
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The £5.5bn Ajax programme is delivering the army’s first armoured fighting vehicles in almost three decades after previous projects were scrapped.
The service is in desperate need of new kit to replace much older models that came into service half a century ago.
However, the threats on the battlefield have transformed since the Ajax contract was first signed more than 15 years ago.
It means as well as hearing concerns, there are also worries about how such a large, heavy and noisy vehicle will be used in a combat zone where it would be an easy target for drones.
