The British Army has suspended the use of its new Ajax armoured fighting vehicle for two weeks following reports that about 30 soldiers experienced vibration- and hearing-related problems in a training exercise this past weekend, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The safety pause was ordered by the Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, who asked the Army to stop all Ajax-related training and exercises while a full investigation is conducted.

According to the MoD, the majority of the affected personnel have since been medically cleared and returned to duty; a smaller number continue to receive medical care.

The fresh incident follows long-standing concerns about noise and vibration issues with Ajax — the vehicle had only just been declared to have achieved Initial Operating Capability earlier this month, despite previous suspensions and health complaints.

Critics say the new pause undermines recent MoD assurances that Ajax’s safety problems had been “firmly in the past.” The programme, valued at over £5.5 billion and intended to deliver nearly 589 vehicles by the end of the decade, has faced repeated setbacks since its inception.

The MoD said limited testing of Ajax will continue during the investigation to identify and remedy any issues — stressing that personnel safety remains its top priority. (ILKHA)