U.K. Official Responsible for Ajax Program Sacked by Defense Minister

A senior U.K. civil servant overseeing the Ajax armored vehicle program has been removed after internal reviews found that critical safety risks were not fully disclosed before the vehicle was declared safe for use.

Defense Minister Luke Pollard confirmed that Chris Bowbrick, the Senior Responsible Owner of the Ajax program, is no longer in post. Pollard said Ajax’s initial operating capability status has been “paused,” and an interim official has been appointed to oversee the program.

In a written statement to Members of Parliament, Pollard said submissions from senior officials did not reflect the “full breadth of known” risks, particularly those linked to noise and vibration. He said this incomplete information directly influenced the decision to declare the vehicle operational.

“To say that I am angry about the findings of the ministerial review is an understatement,” Pollard said. “Ministers rely on accurate, timely and complete information to make decisions in the national interest. When that information does not meet this standard, the consequences are not abstract. They can be real, human and serious.”

Pollard said he saw those consequences during a recent visit to the Field Army, where he met soldiers who had operated Ajax vehicles. He described the situation as “unacceptable” and said he has written to the wider defense department and asked the Permanent Secretary to follow up on the findings.

The decision follows a series of safety incidents tied to Ajax. In November, 35 soldiers were treated after falling ill during an exercise on Salisbury Plain, weeks after the vehicle was declared safe to use. Pollard said 25 have returned to duty, two were found to have injuries unrelated to Ajax, and eight remain medically downgraded and under monitoring.

Although Ajax’s operating clearance has been paused, Pollard confirmed that trials on the vehicle are restarting to help “ensure we are best placed to decide Ajax’s future.”

In late December 2025, the defence ministry halted all Ajax trials after another soldier reported vibration-related symptoms during testing at the Bovington training area on December 12. The incident followed reports from about 30 personnel affected during the Army’s Titan Storm exercise in November. Investigations found affected personnel had been operating across 23 vehicles, all of which have since undergone 45-point inspections, alongside additional checks focused on identifying the source of the vibration.

Launched in 2014 and led by General Dynamics, the Ajax program was originally scheduled to enter service in 2017. The British Army has ordered 589 vehicles in six variants, with deliveries now expected by 2030, under a £6.3 billion, or roughly $8 billion, contract. Each vehicle costs close to £10 million and weighs more than 40 tonnes.

Ajax is intended to replace armored platforms dating back to the 1970s and would be the first new armored fighting vehicle to enter U.K. Army service in nearly 30 years. Persistent noise and vibration issues have driven repeated delays. A 2021 internal review found that senior Army and Ministry of Defence officials had known for up to two years that earlier Ajax trials posed potential health risks, including hearing damage, before action was taken.