DSEI 2025: New Ajax IFV Set to Strengthen British Mechanized Infantry Carrying Eight Dismounts and Uncrewed 40 mm Turret.

At DSEI 2025 in London, General Dynamics UK officially unveils the Infantry Fighting Vehicle variant of the AJAX family, marking the most substantial addition to the program since its launch. This new configuration stems from the ARES baseline hull, extended by about thirty centimeters to provide additional internal volume for troop accommodation and heavier combat systems. The highlight of the vehicle is its fully uncrewed turret, developed by Lockheed Martin UK, a system that draws directly on the experience accumulated during the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme before its cancellation.
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The turret is armed with the 40 mm Cased Telescoped Armament System, a weapon system initially procured for the WCSP (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The turret is armed with the 40 mm Cased Telescoped Armament System, a weapon system initially procured for the WCSP, ensuring that previous investment in British armored modernization is not lost. The addition of a Javelin anti-tank guided missile pod further expands its lethality, giving the AJAX IFV the ability to engage both infantry and armored formations at extended ranges. Survivability is enhanced with the Modular Integrated Protection System equipped with IRON FIST active interceptors, designed to neutralize incoming projectiles. To improve mobility and reduce operational fatigue, the vehicle runs on Composite Rubber Tracks, which cut vibration, noise, and wear without sacrificing cross-country performance. The rear compartment is configured to carry eight dismounts, making this variant the first true infantry fighting vehicle in the AJAX program.

The AJAX family itself was conceived as a transformational program for the British Army’s armored forces, bridging the gap between heavy tracked platforms such as Challenger 2 and lighter, wheeled systems like Boxer. Six core variants are already planned. The AJAX reconnaissance version is the central ISTAR platform, intended to give Brigade Combat Teams a deployable all-weather surveillance and targeting capability. The ARES, which provides the base hull for the family, is configured for specialist troop transport, supporting Javelin teams, snipers, and other specialist detachments. The ATHENA variant is dedicated to command and control, ensuring commanders can process and distribute battlefield information effectively. ARGUS offers engineering reconnaissance, while ATLAS and APOLLO deliver battlefield recovery and repair.

What differentiates the new IFV variant from these existing models is its direct combat role. While AJAX, ARES, and their sister platforms emphasize reconnaissance, command, or support, the IFV introduces a capacity for infantry transport combined with substantial firepower. In doing so, it fills a gap left by the gradual withdrawal of the Warrior IFV, which has served as the backbone of British mechanized infantry for decades. With Warrior approaching obsolescence, the AJAX IFV provides a clear successor that not only matches but surpasses its predecessor in terms of protection, firepower, and digital integration.

The unveiling also underscores a recurring feature of British armored programs: the recycling of technologies and investments from cancelled or delayed projects. The 40 mm CTA gun and the turret design work conducted under WCSP find new relevance here, ensuring that sunk costs are repurposed into a viable operational platform. Industrially, General Dynamics UK remains prime contractor for the AJAX family, while Lockheed Martin UK delivers the turret system, maintaining a balance of responsibility within the domestic defense sector.

Placed in the broader European context, the AJAX IFV enters a competitive field. Germany is promoting Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx, Spain and Austria deploy the ASCOD platform, and the Boxer wheeled IFV is gaining traction across NATO. Unlike these designs, the AJAX family emphasizes a common tracked architecture across reconnaissance, command, engineering, and now infantry fighting roles. This unified family structure provides logistic and training advantages, while also anchoring the program in the British Army’s future force design.

Operationally, the British Army has already started training on early AJAX vehicles, with Reliability Growth Trials progressing and deliveries of deployable platforms scheduled throughout 2024. The Household Cavalry Regiment is set to become the first operational unit to adopt AJAX, establishing the foundation for the gradual integration of the family into combat brigades. With the new IFV unveiled, the Army gains the ability to extend the family’s relevance beyond reconnaissance and support roles into the direct combat domain.

General Dynamics UK, as prime contractor, positions itself at the center of this modernization effort. The unveiling of the IFV demonstrates a strategic intent to consolidate earlier technological efforts into a coherent and flexible armored family. The proliferation of this variant will ultimately depend not only on British adoption but also on export opportunities, where the AJAX IFV could appeal to partners seeking medium-weight tracked vehicles that combine firepower, modularity, and a proven industrial framework.