According to an official response to a parliamentary inquiry addressed to the British Minister of Defence, the ministry confirmed that, as of March 19, 2025, a total of 91 Ajax IFV armored vehicles had been delivered, while 498 units remain to be delivered. This acquisition is part of the British Army’s ambitious modernization program, which envisions a total of 589 vehicles locally manufactured at General Dynamics UK facilities.
As the incorporation process advances, the British Army continues to carry out key technical and operational tests. Throughout 2024, various evaluation campaigns were conducted under extreme weather conditions, with temperatures dropping to -36°C. These evaluations included live-fire exercises while on the move and cross-country maneuvers using the 40mm CT40 cannon, the Ajax system’s main weapon. These tests aimed to validate the vehicles’ performance before reaching Initial Operating Capability (IOC), which was scheduled for this year.
Based on General Dynamics’ ASCOD platform—also used by the armed forces of Spain and Austria—the Ajax is intended to replace the aging CVR (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance) family of armored vehicles, which has been in service since the 1970s. This family includes the FV101 Scorpion, in the light tank role, and the FV107 Scimitar, as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).
The program includes not only the Ajax variant, but also five specialized variants named Ares, Athena, Apollo, Atlas, and Argus. The Ajax family is set to form the core of the British Army’s future armored fleet, offering substantial improvements in lethality, mobility, protection, reliability, and ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance).
On the industrial level, the program is expected to generate around 4,000 jobs and involves more than 230 companies within the national supply chain. Full entry into service for the entire fleet is projected between October 2028 and September 2029.
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