Testing of a new £ 3.47 billion army tank fleet has been suspended for speed and safety concerns, the Defense Ministry has confirmed.
Armored fighting vehicles have design issues that include them, according to some sources, unable to travel safely above 20 mph – and they are believed to be able to go up to 40 mph.
Other issues with the new Ajax armored range include an inability to fire moving cannons, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Citing a government report, the newspaper said the speed restrictions were caused by excessive vibrations in the tanks, adding that crews were limited to 90 minutes at a time indoors.
The report, which is due for release next month, also says tanks cannot reverse over obstacles over 8 inches high.
He also says staff must wear noise-canceling headphones when using the tanks and must undergo hearing tests afterward.
The Household Cavalry Regiment “cannot conduct effective collective training there,” the report added.
The Department of Defense introduced the new range of tanks in 2010, with 589 vehicles across a model range ordered in 2014.
Ares, one of the Ajax family’s armored vehicles, is tested by the Household Cavalry Pic: General Dynamics UK
But the program has seen many problems and is four years behind schedule, the Telegraph reported.
The document added that only 14 of the turretless Ares model tanks, manufactured by the US company General Dynamics, had been delivered.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said its training on “Ajax variants” had now resumed “with appropriate security measures in place.”
A spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said in a statement: “We are committed to the Ajax program which will be a key component of the modernized combat division of the army, with current plans for initial operational capability planned for it. ‘summer 2021, “a spokesperson for the MOD said in a statement.
“The MOD can confirm that some training on Ajax …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-03 02:13:00
