Ajax armoured vehicles: Payments resume for troubled project

The £5.5bn Ministry of Defence (MoD) project has been running for 12 years

The UK government has resumed paying the manufacturer of the troubled Ajax armoured vehicle project.

Ministers stopped giving General Dynamics money in December 2020 because of problems with noise and vibration.

The Ministry of Defence says 589 Ajax vehicles, mostly built in Merthyr Tydfil, will be delivered.

But the first vehicles will not go into service until 2025 at the earliest; the first vehicle was supposed to be ready in 2017.

Ajax has already cost more than £3bn.

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The BBC previously reported problems with the trials of the vehicles. Some of those testing the vehicles had complained of hearing loss and others suffered issues such as white finger.

The UK government said the vehicles are scheduled to enter "initial operating capability between July and December 2025".

It said it resumed its transactions to General Dynamics with an "initial payment" of £480m.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "Having worked closely with General Dynamics to address the issues, I am pleased to say that we are making progress and are now on course to see the delivery of a suite of hundreds of battle-ready vehicles for the British Army."

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies added: "Ajax vehicles are key to modernising HM Armed Forces and I'm proud that the workers at their Merthyr Tydfil factory are playing such an important role".