Army to resume Ajax armoured vehicle trials after they made soldiers sick
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Eleanor Storey
,
PA News
and
Eleri Griffiths
,
BBC Wales
PA Media
The Ajax programme has been beset by problems and delays
Trials of the Army's troubled Ajax armoured vehicles will resume "cautiously", with the defence minister acknowledging more work is needed to "rebuild confidence" in the transportation.
Testing of the Ajax was paused last November after about
30 soldiers reported illness linked to noise and vibration
during training exercise.
Defence minister Luke Pollard said an investigation found the symptoms were likely caused by "a combination of factors" including technical issues, training variability, cold exposure and air quality.
He said all affected personnel had since returned to duty, with most suffering only "temporary symptoms".
PA Media
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The multimillion pound Ajax vehicles are made in Merthyr Tydfil by General Dynamics, which employs around 700 people.
At the start of the year, Mr Pollard faced
pressure from MPs
to provide clarity and act quickly in order to protect jobs in south Wales
However, in February, he
declined to set a timeline
on the investigation into the programme.
In a letter to the House of Commons on Tuesday, he said he had "agreed to restart the acceptance of vehicles from General Dynamics", while acknowledging the system had "not been good enough" for soldiers.
He said "strict new controls" are in place to improve the user experience, adding soldiers' feedback is "shaping much of what we do next".
Trials will resume in phases, beginning with a small number of vehicles being tested under "very controlled circumstances".
Mr Pollard added: "While we are proceeding cautiously with Ajax, we know we have more to do to rebuild confidence in the vehicle, and we do not underestimate the work still ahead.
"We aspire to deliver a vehicle into service that is effective on the battlefield and works for our soldiers.
"We will continue to work with General Dynamics to proceed safely, responsibly and transparently to deliver an improved Ajax user experience for our soldiers.
"The above commitments will be met within the existing programme scope and financial envelope."
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Wales
Merthyr Tydfil
UK government
Ministry of Defence