MP warns Ajax flaws threaten Welsh armoured jobs

Ben Obese-Jecty MP used a Westminster Hall debate to challenge the Ministry of Defence over the decision to declare Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for Ajax in November 2025, after the programme was paused again following reports of noise and vibration related injuries during training.

Obese-Jecty said the programme’s problems have been known for years, but argued that the latest pause has put the credibility of the IOC decision, and wider armoured capability, under renewed scrutiny. “Since then, the Ajax programme has gone from on track to throwing a track, and the outlook for the programme and our armoured capability…are now all very much under the microscope,” he told MPs.

He pointed to the scale of requirement changes as a driver of complexity, saying Ajax began as a platform based on an existing General Dynamics design but became “bespoke technology” after the Army pursued extensive additions. “We are talking about a staggering 1,200 capability requirements for each of the six vehicle types under the Ajax umbrella,” he said.

Obese-Jecty repeatedly returned to the contradiction at the centre of the latest controversy: senior military sign-off that the vehicle was safe, followed by a fresh training pause within weeks of the public IOC declaration. “How did we reach a point where four-star senior officers and equivalents had the confidence to sign off the vehicle’s initial operating capability…only for it to blow up in everybody’s face weeks later?” he asked.

He said the Department had confirmed to him that IOC criteria were met on 23 July 2025, the Army declared IOC on 15 September 2025, and the Government announced IOC on 5 November 2025 after a review period. He also cited ministerial claims that written assurances were provided from senior leaders ahead of IOC.

“Before declaring Initial Operating Capability…I received written assurances…that the vehicle was safe to operate…described as ‘demonstrably safe to operate’,” he quoted from a ministerial response. The MP questioned whether long-standing programme pressures remain, referencing the National Audit Office’s findings about incentives to prioritise milestones. “The contract incentivised GDLS-UK to prioritise production milestones over the quality and performance of the capability,” he said, quoting the NAO, and asked whether the same dynamic still applies.

He also raised concerns about continuing production and the implications for the workforce at General Dynamics’ Merthyr Tydfil facility if the fleet is completed on current timelines. He warned that, absent additional orders or exports, the factory could face a cliff-edge. “There could potentially be an idle factory in Wales,” he said, asking ministers to set out what comes next for the site and whether staff can be assured about jobs once production ends.

A further line of attack focused on the renewed training pause and reported injuries. Obese-Jecty said ministers had confirmed that during a late-2025 exercise, a number of soldiers reported being affected, and that vehicles were linked to personnel suffering injury symptoms. “For 30 soldiers to be affected…with identical symptoms, as a result of a known issue supposedly resolved…is simply unacceptable,” he said.

He asked ministers to clarify whether there had been any comparable incidents during exercises between late July 2025, when IOC criteria were said to have been achieved, and the later exercise where the pause was triggered. He also questioned what measurement approach is being used in current investigations, arguing past assessment methods had drawn criticism.

He pressed ministers on transparency around the internal discussions that took place between the July milestone and the November IOC announcement, and asked for clarity on compensation claims linked to noise and vibration issues, and on how many personnel may be undergoing treatment or have been diagnosed with hearing loss after operating Ajax variants. Beyond the immediate pause, Obese-Jecty argued the debate goes to the heart of the Army’s armoured doctrine and the coherence of its force structure, warning of capability gaps and mixed-fleet complications as Ajax, Boxer and Challenger 3 are brought into service. He questioned ministerial statements suggesting the Ares variant could fill infantry troop-carrying roles, arguing that its armament and original purpose do not align with an infantry fighting vehicle requirement.

“In my opinion, the Ares variant is not designed for mounted close combat,” he said.

Other MPs intervened to urge ministers to address prior concerns raised by the Defence Committee about IOC deliverability. Stuart Anderson MP said the Minister should explain what checks were made against the committee’s earlier conclusions.

“In 2022…I and colleagues on the Defence Committee went to Merthyr Tydfil…[and] clearly stated that IOC was nowhere near deliverable in the timeframes proposed,” he said.