The unveiling of the new "AJAX IFV" has been an highlight moment of the opening morning of DSEI. For both General Dynamics (GD) and Lockheed Martin (LM) this has been a long journey, with work on this project going on behind the scene for quite some time: during our visit in Merthyr Tydfil last year we had been given a few early indications of the work ongoing on an IFV offering targeted at export opportunities more than at domestic UK needs, but times were not yet mature for revealing more.

Now, with Government having recently officialized the return of "armoured infantry battalions", at least 4 of them, across 12 and 20 Armoured Brigade Combat Teams, the times are more mature than ever. The existing APC variant of AJAX, the ARES, is being introduced as the first post-WARRIOR tracked infantry vehicle solution, but it is clear that their number (93) and current configuration are both insufficient to meet the requirement. We may have not been told in unequivocal terms by a Minister yet, but all indications are that an IFV procurement is to be initiated with quite some urgency.

The new IFV, based on ARES, is actually slightly longer, circa 30 cm, and was showcased fitted with upgraded suspensions and Composite Rubber Tracks (CRT) with Self-Adjusting Track Tensioner. The use of CRT tracks brings lowered levels of noise and vibrations and considerably lowers fuel consumption, which is the reason for their increasingly widespread adoption, but steel remains an alternative.

The Rolls Royce MTU powerpack can be installed in its latest guise, which pushes power up from 800 to 1000 kW. The IFV as showcased comfortably sits 8 dismounts and a crew of 3, all in the hull, with driver forward and Commander and (optionally dismountable) gunner-operator sitting abreast beneath the non-hull penetrating, uncrewed turret.

This is where Lockheed Martin UK comes in: their new turret builds upon 20 years of experience through the WARRIOR CSP and AJAX projects and is now a wholly UK owned, ITAR-free product which is actually, by design, optionally crewed. Should a customer want it, it could be outfitted as a 2- crew turret. In the IFV, however, the use of an uncrewed turret maximizes crew protection and also ensures maximum space in the back thanks to the lack of a turret basket.

The new turret draws heavily from work carried out for WARRIOR Capability Sustainment Programmme which, despite not progressing into production as we know, had actually been "97%" there, with the turret in particular having gone through firing trials and reliability growth trials.

LM envisions the new turret as a multi-role, platform agnostic solution that can be adapted to the need of the moment, including for vSHORAD air defence or naval applications.

On the AJAX IFV, the gun employed is the 40 mm CTA for obvious reasons of commonality and also because the MoD still has some 245 guns that had been originally been purchased for the WARRIOR CPS that could be put to good use. Both 25 or 30 mm alternatives are all feasible, however.

The turret enables high elevation angles to the gun, up to 75°, which, in conjunction with airburst ammunition, makes the IFV an excellent solution against enemy drones, especially since the turret integrates the MoD's Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) complete with the new IAI M3S2 radar "head" (from the Israeli TROPHY APS system) which offers counter-drone detection and tracking. MIPS uses Elbit's IRON FIST as the Hard Kill interceptor solution (picture below). 

The turret also comes with integrated situational awareness cameras and smoke grenade launchers as well as an independent, panoramic sight for the Commander. There is also a launcher-pod, showcased fitted with a single JAVELIN tube at the show (picture below), that could hold a couple of anti-tank missiles or loitering munitions or other future payloads.

Unlike the AJAX turret, which Lockheed Martin UK produces in Ampthill but employing a steel citadel supplied by Rheinmetall in Germany, this new turret is a wholly UK product, which Lockheed Martin is keen to also export abroad.

Discussions for the export of both AJAX family vehicles and of the new LM turret separately are undergoing with a number of interested Countries, but it's still too early to say more. The production run for the AJAX turret will be completed in the new year: currently around 5-6 turrets are completed each month, in single shift, at Ampthill. That production rate could be accelerated with a double shift approach first of all. Virtually ready to fire now, the new turret offers high maturity overall while being still a young project with more work ongoing: new prototypes are due in the new year and more features will be considered, such as bottom hatches for under armour access inside the uncrewed turret.

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