British Army soldiers receive health checks after operating Ajax vehicles

British Army soldiers are receiving health tests after they were exposed to excessive noise and vibration while operating GDLS-UK Ajax reconnaissance vehicles. (Crown Copyright)

British Army soldiers are receiving health tests after they were exposed to excessive noise and vibration while operating General Dynamics Land Systems-UK (GDLS-UK) Ajax reconnaissance vehicles, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin said in a parliamentary written statement published on 6 September.

Quin reported that 248 out of 310 personnel being tested had been assessed for noise exposure and said a full health and safety report into the problems with the vehicle would be published once it is finalised by the Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) director of health and safety. “The army continues to identify and monitor the hearing of all personnel exposed to noise on Ajax, with additional testing put in place where required,” he explained. “The army is also in the process of identifying any health effects in those potentially exposed to vibration.”

Quin revealed that the ministry was overhauling its management of the Ajax programme, saying it had “identified the need for a full time, dedicated senior responsible owner or SRO ... to see the project through to completion, or indeed advise if the project is incapable of being delivered. A shortlist of candidates is currently under consideration.”

All testing and training on the small number of Ajax vehicles that have been delivered to the British Army remains “paused”, said Quin. A series of independent tests of the vehicle to identify root causes of the noise and vibration issues are expected to “resume imminently” after a safety assurance panel signs them off, according to the minister.