A cutting-edge purpose-built facility has been constructed at the British Army’s Combat Manoeuvre Centre in Bovington, England, to accommodate a range of highly immersive simulators to support training for the new Ajax armoured fighting vehicle (AFV).
These simulators are specifically designed for synthetic military training and vehicle instruction on the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme, commonly known as Ajax. The programme is set to deliver a family of tracked, all-terrain, digitally enabled vehicles with a range of weapons and sensors delivering transformational change in capability to the British Army.
The facility accommodates a diverse array of simulators, which includes three Desk Top Trainers, six Enhanced Procedural Driver Trainers, three Full Motion Driver Trainer Simulators, three Crew Turret Trainers, and four Small Arms Drill Trainers. Utilizing simulation as a training method offers a secure environment for instruction, while also contributing to a decrease in operational expenses, equipment wear, and reliance on live training locations.
In addition to the Bovington development, Ajax infrastructure has already delivered simulation centres at Tidworth Garrison, Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain Training Area, and is due to complete at Warminster Garrison by the end of 2025.
Mr Chris Bowbrick, Ajax Programme Senior Responsible Owner said: “The delivery of this facility at the Combat Manoeuvre Centre delivers a critical capability to the Army and to the success of the Ajax Programme. It’s great to see it operational and enabling the delivery of synthetic training to Field Army units.”
Colonel John Godfrey, Deputy Commander Combat Manoeuvre Centre and Commander Bovington Garrison said: “AFV simulators are integral to the Safe System of Training. The facility formally opened at ARMCEN today provides us a step change in our simulation training capability and enables us to thoroughly prepare new drivers, operators and commanders to get the very best from Ajax. It will make us better AFV operators, and it sets the new benchmark for our modernisation programmes.”
Brigadier Pete Quaite OBE, Head of Infra Plans said: “We are providing investment across several areas of our estate to modernise training infrastructure, improve operational efficiency and deliver benefits for our people. It is excellent to see the new Ajax facility at Bovington now in use, offering ‘real-world’ training for military personnel, reducing running costs and providing a critical capability to the Army.”
Warren Webster, DIO’s Major Programmes and Projects Army Director, said: “Completion of this impressive facility is testament to the collaborative approach between our project team and industry partners. This modern, high-quality facility meets the infrastructure requirements of the Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme and supports training of its personnel.”
Ajax armoured fighting vehicle
Ajax is a group of armoured fighting vehicles being developed by General Dynamics UK for the British Army. It is based on the ASCOD platform, which was originally designed by Steyr-Daimler-Puch and Santa Bárbara Sistemas in the 1990s and used by Spain and Austria. General Dynamics acquired both companies in the early 2000s and won a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence in 2010 to deliver 589 Ajax vehicles in six variants: Ajax, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Atlas and Argus.
Ajax is intended to replace the ageing Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) family of vehicles that have been in service since 1971. It will provide enhanced lethality, survivability, mobility and all-weather intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and recognition (ISTAR) capabilities through its advanced sensor suite. Ajax will be at the core of the British Army’s future armoured fleet and will operate alongside Challenger 3 main battle tanks and Boxer mechanised infantry vehicles.
The Ajax variant is the main reconnaissance vehicle that will be equipped with a 40 mm CTA International CT40 cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm chain gun. It will also have a Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapon Station that can mount Javelin anti-tank missiles. The Ares variant is an armoured personnel carrier that can carry up to seven passengers. The Athena variant is an ISTAR command and control vehicle that will enable networked battlespace management. The Apollo variant is an ISTAR support vehicle that will provide repair and recovery capabilities. The Atlas variant is an engineer reconnaissance vehicle that will conduct route clearance and obstacle breaching tasks. The Argus variant is an engineer support vehicle that will provide earth-moving and engineering capabilities.
All Ajax variants share a common base platform with a V-shaped hull for protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They have an MTU V8 engine with 800 bhp and a RENK six-speed transmission that allow them to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h on road and 50 km/h off-road. They also have a torsion bar suspension system with hydro-pneumatic units for improved ride quality and obstacle crossing ability. They are fully digitised with open architecture electronic systems that enable interoperability with other platforms and systems.
The Ajax programme has faced several challenges and delays since its inception. It has been criticised for cost overruns, technical issues, poor performance and safety concerns. In November 2020, trials were halted over excessive noise and vibration levels that caused nausea, tinnitus and hearing loss among crew members. In September 2021, Jeremy Quin, Minister for Defence Procurement, stated that dynamic testing and training on Ajax was suspended indefinitely due to unresolved defects. In October 2022 limited trials resumed but extended trials are expected to last until early 2025.
Despite these setbacks, Ajax remains a key component of the British Army’s modernisation plan as it seeks to adapt to emerging threats and challenges in an increasingly complex security environment. Ajax promises to deliver transformational change in capability by providing superior situational awareness, firepower, mobility and protection for soldiers across a range of missions.
