Following the successful cold weather trials in Sweden, the British Army has recently marked a significant milestone with the completion of its first-ever firing-on-the-move exercise using the AJAX armoured fighting vehicle, conducted on the United Kingdom Soil. This achievement represents a pivotal moment in the long-anticipated and frequently troubled AJAX program, signaling renewed optimism regarding the platform’s capabilities. The AJAX armoured fighting vehicle, which maneuvered across the range and engaged targets with precision during the exercise, has demonstrated its advanced operational potential. The successful outcome of these trials has been described by the British Army as a “resounding success,” underscoring the vehicle’s improved performance after overcoming previous hurdles.
The Ajax turret manufactured by Lockheed Martin UK. Lockheed Martin is working closely with the Defence Support Group for turret assembly as well as Rheinmetall. The AJAX is armed with a CTA International CTAS40 40mm cased telescoped cannon system, providing a significant upgrade in firepower over its predecessors. Additionally, it features advanced composite armor and modular add-on armor packages, offering enhanced protection against ballistic, blast, and anti-tank guided missile threats. The CT-40 Cannon will have a coaxially mounted 7.62mm L94 Chain Gun within a dual axis stabilised, two-man turret. L94A1 is the British Ministry of Defence designation for the long-barrelled version of the Hughes EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun, which is fitted to several British Army armoured fighting vehicles, including the Challenger 2 and the Warrior.
The AJAX is the first British vehicle to be fitted with the jointly (French and British programmes) developed Case Telescoped 40mm Cannon (CT-40 Cannon). Cased Telescopic Ammunition (CTA) differs from conventional ammunition as the projectile is telescoped inside the cartridge case, surrounded by propellant, saving space and proving grater lethality. The cannon is designed to fire a number of different types of ammunition including APFSDS-T (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot – Tracer for armoured vehicles), GPR-T (General Purpose Round – Tracer for infantry, light vehicles and defensive fortifications), A3B-T (Anti Aerial Airburst – Tracer for drones, light aircraft and helicopters) and TP-T (Target Practice – Tracer) rounds. The variants differ in weight, effective range, and payload depending on the intended target.
Ajax has a gross vehicle weight rating of 42 tonne but it has a 2 tonne growth ability for extra equipment to be added to the vehicle without causing a significant impact on its performance. The vehicle is equipped with a German-designed MTU Friedrichshafen V8 engine, a 600 kW turbocharged diesel powerplant producing 805 hp, enabling a top speed of 70 km/h (43 mph). Positioned at the front of the hull, the engine optimizes the rear compartment for storing equipment and personnel. The Ajax features a German Renk RENK 6-speed HSWL 256B fully-automatic transmission, offering six forward and five reverse gears, along with a torsion bar suspension system. During trials, the test vehicle demonstrated impressive performance by towing an additional 62 tonnes over 300 km. Similar engines are in service with the Austrian Ulan and Spanish Pizarro armoured fighting vehicles, showcasing its proven reliability.
