Disastrous defence procurement programme has seen just 44 of an ordered 589 armoured fighting vehicles delivered to the MoD – a decade after bosses signed the $7.7 billion contract.
Over £4bn has so far been spent on the ill-fated Ajax project – 70 per cent of the contract cost – but just seven per cent of the vehicles have been accepted by the Army.
The Mail has revealed a litany of errors with the 38-tonne machines, being built by defence contractor General Dynamics, with trials paused three years ago after troops suffered hearing loss due to excess noise and vibration. The machines also struggled to fire on the move and left troops feeling sick.
Hundreds of personnel required medical assessment after taking part in trials of the vehicle, which was due to enter service in 2020.
Over $6.5 billion has so far been spent on the ill-fated Ajax project – 70 per cent of the contract cost – but just seven per cent of the vehicles have been accepted by the Army.
The land vehicles will not now see operational deployment until 2026 at the earliest, and Labour yesterday said that almost £1m had been spent on external legal counsel related to the delayed programme – adding to the costs to the taxpayer.
Brits are flying to Ukraine for dental treatment because of the ever-worsening NHS crisis. Industry leaders and MPs have warned that patients have been left with no option but to jet out to the war-torn nation after being unable to get help in the UK. The crisis in NHS dentistry has been brewing for years, with some Brits even forced to pull out their own teeth with pliers. Others have queued from 4am to gain a spot at dentistry practices that have opened up their list to NHS patients in scenes described as being ‘reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe’.
Brits are flying to Ukraine for dental treatment because of the ever-worsening NHS crisis. Industry leaders and MPs have warned that patients have been left with no option but to jet out to the war-torn nation after being unable to get help in the UK. The crisis in NHS dentistry has been brewing for years, with some Brits even forced to pull out their own teeth with pliers. Others have queued from 4am to gain a spot at dentistry practices that have opened up their list to NHS patients in scenes described as being ‘reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe’.
Other bungled programmes include the RAF’s E-7 Wedgetail spyplanes and the British Army’s Morpheus battlefields communication system, both of which have been mired in delays.
John Healey, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, said Ajax was the ‘biggest defence procurement failure for a decade, and accused the Government of ‘failing British troops and British taxpayers.’.
He said: ‘Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted over $20 billion of taxpayers’ money through mismanagement of defence procurement programmes, with over $7.7 billion wasted since 2019 alone.
‘In Government, Labour will use NAO expertise to conduct a comprehensive audit MoD waste and drive deep defence procurement reform to ensure our troops have the kit they need to fight and fulfil our NATO obligations.’
But last March it said payments to General Dynamics, which had been withheld since December 2020 due to the noise and vibration issues, had resumed. It added that Ajax vehicles were due to reach Initial Operating Capability between July and December 2025.
In December it said the vehicles, being assembled in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, had so far driven more than 12,400 miles in trials.
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