A soldier injured by Ajax vehicle remains unfit for duty even after months

Dozens of injured soldiers are still unable to return to full duty after being transported in Army Ajax vehicles.

About 33 soldiers fell ill after spending hours in 40-tonne reconnaissance vehicles during a military exercise on Salisbury Plain last year.

Armed Forces Minister Al Carnes confirmed that the nine had returned to full duty.

But the Defence Ministry said 24 were still in the “medical chain” and on restricted duties.

It is unclear when personnel will return to full duty, but a handful of those previously injured by Ajax were forced to leave the force with permanent hearing damage.

The news comes amid claims that more soldiers may have been injured during three prior exercises involving Ajax between July and November last year.

Ben Obese-Jeckty, a Tory MP and former British Army officer, expressed shock at the sustained injuries over a two-month period.

He added, “This suggests that his injuries are far more extensive and debilitating than just a slight motion sickness caused by travelling in an armoured vehicle for an afternoon.”

Soldiers, believed to be part of the Royal Lancers and Household Cavalry, were reported to be suffering from “noise vibration symptoms” after an exercise on 22 November.

Some were so badly shocked that they reportedly staggered out of the Ajax fighting machines vomiting, while others were barely able to stand.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard ordered the immediate suspension of the use of armoured vehicles pending a major security review.

This suspension affects 60 vehicles that were used during exercises.

The Defence Ministry had previously said that 23 soldiers out of 60 vehicles used during exercises on Salisbury Plain last year felt ill.

The £6.3 billion project, which officials have claimed is “too big to fail”, is now on the verge of being cancelled altogether, and ministers are expected to make a decision on the future of Ajax later this year.

General Dynamics, an American firm manufacturing vehicles, announced it had achieved all initial operating criteria – meaning the vehicles are safe to enter service – on July 23 last year.

In November, Mr Pollard announced that the first batch of vehicles was ready for frontline action, two weeks before the programme was halted over security concerns.

However, Mr Obese-Jekty fears that a trio of small-scale exercises between these two dates could injure more soldiers.

The exercise, believed to be a relatively small-scale training exercise, took place on Salisbury Plain.

Mr Obese-Jekty says he has repeatedly asked the Defence Ministry for answers about whether any of the personnel involved have fallen ill from noise or vibration symptoms, but he claims the government has “stonewalled” them.

The Huntington MP said, “I have answers to everything that happened before July 23. Everything after Exercise Titan Storm [which took place on November 22], I also have answers.

“But the government has blocked me on everything between those two dates. They’re not willing to disclose any of that information.

“They have just ignored the question because they would rather not disclose how many soldiers have been injured… This is a problem that is not going to go away.”

General Dynamics emphasized military security; it was the firm’s “top priority,” and the Ajax was the “most tested combat vehicle” ever.

A spokesperson said, “Since 2019, we have worked with the British Army and the Ministry of Defence to conduct extensive trials and testing. We continue to support them without hesitation or limitation.

“We are confident in the performance and protection Ajax will provide to our troops.”

Three separate investigations, including an independent ministerial inquiry, are being conducted to determine what went wrong last year.

Their results are expected to be released later this year, with ministers stressing that “all options remain on the table”.

Speaking to MPs on Monday, Mr Carnes warned, “When it comes to this programme, we must either support it or scrap it. It is the evidence that will allow us to make that decision.”

Composed of six different variants, the Ajax will be the backbone of the Army’s future armoured and deep reconnaissance strike brigades for the next 30 years.

It is built at the General Dynamics factory in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. Of the 589 commissioned into the fleet, about 180 have been handed over to the Army so far.

The Telegraph understands the Government is in the process of finalising responses to Mr Obese-Jekty’s questions, with a first response expected next week.

a spokesperson for Ministry of Defence Additional information is not being hidden and will be disclosed soon, and it said the safety of its personnel is its top priority.