UK Revokes Ajax Programme’s Initial Operating Capability

The UK Ministry of Defence has officially withdrawn the Initial Operating Capability (IOC) status from the Ajax armoured vehicle programme.

Defence Secretary John Healey said that ministers were not given full or accurate information before earlier decisions were made, according to the UK Defence Journal.

He described the situation as a serious failure of transparency in how the programme was managed.

Normally, declaring Initial Operating Capability is a one-way step in the procurement process. This means the equipment is considered safe, ready for use, and capable of performing limited combat missions.

Revoking this status after it has been granted is extremely rare and effectively admits that earlier assurances to Parliament and the government were not justified.

Prolonged testing revealed serious vibration and noise issues that negatively affected service personnel. There have been reports of physical symptoms associated with extended time spent in the vehicle. Despite numerous modifications and tests, these issues were never fully resolved.

In addition, the UK Ministry of Defence has dismissed the senior official responsible for the Ajax armoured vehicle programme.