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The Ajax Programme: Lessons in Risk and the Value of Expert Assurance

The Ajax Programme: Lessons in Risk and the Value of Expert Assurance

The Ajax armoured vehicle programme was intended to be a transformative step for the British Army: a fleet of six advanced, fully digitised vehicles providing cutting-edge surveillance, reconnaissance, and support capabilities. However, as the National Audit Office (NAO) details in its 2022 report, the programme has instead become a cautionary tale of how complex defence procurement can falter when risk management, technical requirements, and supplier oversight are not robustly assured from the outset. The consequences include years of delay, spiralling costs, and critical safety issues, most notably, unresolved noise and vibration problems that have directly affected the health of Army personnel.

Project Summary

Sector

Defence

Capabilities

Asset Management

Service

Consulting

At the heart of Ajax’s troubles lies the drive to deliver a bespoke solution bristling with new capabilities, but without sufficient maturity in the underlying technologies or a clear understanding of how they would integrate. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) specified around 1,200 capability requirements for each of the six Ajax variants. While innovation is vital in defence modernisation, the result was a system so complex that even the Department and General Dynamics Land Systems UK (GDLS-UK) struggled to fully understand how components would work together. For example, the cannon’s design was not mature at contract award, yet its integration was pivotal for the vehicle’s intended capability.

This lack of clarity led to a continual churn of design changes, 1,897 in total between 2015 and 2021, each adding delay, cost, and risk. The NAO noted that neither the Department nor GDLS-UK fully understood some components’ specifications or how they would be integrated onto the Ajax vehicle. The programme quickly exhausted its schedule contingency and became mired in disputes over technical standards and acceptance criteria.

Perhaps the most damaging failing has been the inability to anticipate and control the noise and vibration hazards that have rendered the vehicles unsafe for crew. Despite early indications of excessive vibration and reports from crews as early as 2017, these issues were not prioritised until 2020. By September 2021, the MoD had imposed 27 limitations of use on Ajax vehicles, 22 of which were safety-related and 11 critical to achieving even initial operating capability. Testing was insufficiently rigorous and failed to reflect real-world conditions, ultimately forcing the MoD to halt progress until solutions could be agreed.

The programme also suffered from fragmented accountability. The contract intended to transfer financial risk to the contractor, but in practice led to confusion over roles. While the MoD was responsible for specifying and accepting vehicles, GDLS-UK was accountable for design and manufacture. When problems arose, disputes emerged over who was responsible for remediation. The lack of clear, shared ownership of risk and safety assurance directly contributed to delays and hazards.

Another key issue was scheduling over-optimism. The NAO found that the original schedule was unrealistic, with the design and manufacturing phase extending to nearly eight years- far beyond the three years initially expected. Most of the programme’s contingency was consumed early, leaving little room to respond to emergent problems.

These failures are not unique to Ajax, they are emblematic of the risks in any high-value, high-complexity defence procurement.

What is required is not simply more oversight, but the right kind of expertise that is embedded early and throughout the project lifecycle.

 

The Role of Expert Assurance in Defence Procurement

Finch Consulting brings deep experience in engineering risk management, safety assurance, and legal compliance across high-hazard sectors, including defence. Our consultants are Subject Matter Experts and former board-level executives from defence contractors, combining technical knowledge with practical, organisational insight. This enables Finch to bridge the gap between ambitious requirements and safe, deliverable outcomes.

One key lesson from the Ajax project is the risk of excessive requirements and unclear standards. It highlighted the importance of early and transparent user engagement, modular engineering, balancing ambition with realism, and enforcing stronger contractual oversight. Finch’s experience in translating complex regulations into clear, actionable guidance and specifications has helped our clients streamline compliance while maintaining operational readiness.

Finch’s expertise spans the entire system lifecycle, from concept to decommissioning. Our consultants ensure that risk and safety are considered from the outset, not added as afterthoughts. This includes support for HAZID and HAZOP studies, machinery and equipment compliance, and development of robust safety management systems.

The Ajax case also highlights the dangers of fragmented supply chains. Finch helps strengthen supply chain resilience through supplier assessments, integration of safety requirements into contracts, and support for dispute resolution. Our background as expert witnesses equip us to assist clients in both avoiding and navigating complex disagreements like those seen in Ajax.

The Ajax programme’s difficulties are a reminder that in complex, high-stakes defence projects, success depends on more than technical innovation, it requires disciplined, expert risk management, defined outcomes, and a shared culture of accountability. By embedding specialist assurance from the outset, future programmes can deliver real value for the Armed Forces and the taxpayer.

 

*Please note all information for this article has been sourced from the public domain and mainly the National Audit Office (NAO) report The Ajax Programme, 11 March 2022, ISBN: 9781786044198. No other sources have been used.

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The Ajax Programme: Lessons in Risk and the Value of Expert Assurance

Richard Bowen

Senior Consultant

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