The Ajax is a family of tracked, all-terrain, digitally enabled, armored fighting vehicles.
The British Army is modernizing its arsenal, seeking to bolster its capabilities with an eye toward a conflict with Russia on the continent.
As part of this modernization process, the British Army has achieved initial operating capability with the Ajax land vehicle system.
The Ajax
The Ajax is a family of tracked, all-terrain, digitally enabled, armored fighting vehicles.
The main land vehicle system is named after Ajax, a mythological ancient Greek hero who fought in the Trojan War alongside Achilles, Odysseus, and Agamemnon.
The Ajax is special in the sense that it has six variants, each with a different name. So, in addition to the Ajax, there are the Atlas, Athena, Apollo, Ares, and Argus. Each iteration of the infantry fighting vehicle shares capabilities but is tailored for different mission sets, including anti-tank, armed reconnaissance, combat engineering, command and control, and recovery and repair missions.
“Ajax is an advanced, fully digitised, land vehicle system delivering transformational change in capability to the British Army. There are six variants in the Ajax family, all based upon a common base platform,” the British Army states about the infantry fighting vehicle.
Depending on the version of the armored combat vehicle, it comes with a 40mm autocannon, 7.62mm machine guns, and FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles. Moreover, the Ajax can reach speeds of approximately 43 miles per hour, depending on the terrain. It requires a crew of three and, the infantry fighting vehicle version, can carry up to seven fully-loaded troops.
“The Ajax has reached initial operating capability. For those that do not know it, Ajax is the world’s first truly digital armored fighting vehicle, and it shows that we are transforming to stay ahead and we are delivering on the defence review and building that stronger partnership with industry,” Chief of the General Staff general Sir Roland Walker said about Ajax’s milestone.
The Household Cavalry Regiment is the first unit that will receive the Ajax, but with a slight delay. Setbacks delayed the delivery of the new combat vehicle by nearly eight years.
The Role of Industry
But besides the operational capabilities of the Ajax, its introduction to the British Army signifies a deepening relationship with the country’s defense industry.
“Ajax helps to support over 4,100 jobs, 230 companies, and, in so doing, it’s grown an important part of our national arsenal,” General Sir Roland Walker revealed.
That is a key point, as sustained combat operations require a healthy and robust industry supplying weapon systems. For instance, the fighting in Ukraine has shown that even modern weapon systems, such as the M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, and Leopard 2 main battle tanks, can be destroyed. So, it is key for a military to have behind it a defense industrial base that can repair and build new weapon systems rapidly.
“That is a system of production and skills, not just stockpiles. This achievement is mostly about people, the tacticians and the technicians whose skill and determination make Ajax a reality. And it proves that when we invest in our people and we embrace transformation, we deliver more than just platforms,” the most senior officer in the British Army added.
The armored fighting vehicle is designed and built by General Dynamics UK.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
