Three British Army Cavalry Regiments and Three Tank Reconnaissance Troops to Field New Ajax Vehicles.

On April 27, 2025, the British Army’s Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) announced via its official X (formerly Twitter) account that its new Ajax tracked reconnaissance armored vehicle will be fielded by the three Armoured Cavalry Regiments — the Household Cavalry Regiment, the Royal Dragoon Guards, and the Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own) — as well as the reconnaissance troops embedded within the Queen’s Royal Hussars, The King’s Royal Hussars, and the Royal Tank Regiment. This announcement marks a decisive step in the modernization of the British Army’s reconnaissance and armored fighting capabilities.
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New British Army Ajax reconnaissance tracked armored vehicle to enhance battlefield reconnaissance for Cavalry Regiments and Tank Reconnaissance Troops. (Picture source: Royal Armoured Corps X account)

The Ajax, developed by General Dynamics UK, is a next-generation tracked reconnaissance armored vehicle that combines superior mobility, advanced reconnaissance systems, and enhanced battlefield survivability. Its introduction signals a significant leap forward in the British Army’s ability to conduct deep reconnaissance, gather real-time intelligence, and dominate in contested environments. Under the Ajax program, the British Army is set to receive a total of 589 vehicles across six different variants. These include 245 Ajax reconnaissance vehicles armed with the powerful CTAI 40mm cannon, alongside Ares armored personnel carriers, Athena command and control vehicles, Argus engineer reconnaissance vehicles, Apollo equipment repair vehicles, and Atlas armored recovery vehicles. Each variant is tailored to specific operational roles to maximize flexibility on the battlefield.

The Ajax will first equip the three Armoured Cavalry Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, all of which play a critical role in providing rapid, deep reconnaissance for British Army divisions and brigades. The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR), famed for its dual operational and ceremonial roles, serves as the dedicated armored reconnaissance force for the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. The HCR’s mission centers on delivering high-quality intelligence and real-time battlefield awareness to divisional headquarters, alongside its well-known ceremonial duties performed in London. The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG), operating as an armoured cavalry regiment within the 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, specialize in forward reconnaissance and screening operations. They are tasked with detecting enemy movements early and shaping the battlefield to the advantage of British forces. Meanwhile, the Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own), with their specialization in independent deep reconnaissance, operate ahead of friendly lines as part of the 1st Deep Recce Strike Brigade Combat Team. Their primary mission is to locate, observe, and report enemy activity, often operating in isolation and at significant distances from main forces.

In parallel, the Ajax will also be deployed to the reconnaissance troops of the British Army’s Armoured Regiments — namely the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH), The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH), and the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR). Traditionally centered around Challenger 2 main battle tanks (and transitioning to Challenger 3 in the near future), these heavy armored units rely on embedded reconnaissance elements to scout ahead, secure routes, and identify targets, ensuring that their armored maneuvers are executed with maximum tactical awareness and minimum risk. By equipping their reconnaissance troops with Ajax, these formations will dramatically enhance their ability to gather actionable intelligence and provide real-time targeting data to their main battle tank units.

Today, the Household Cavalry Regiment’s core mission revolves around providing agile, real-time battlefield intelligence alongside its ceremonial commitments. The Royal Dragoon Guards focus on forward reconnaissance, establishing early contact with enemy forces and shaping the battlefield for follow-on troops. The Royal Lancers specialize in independent deep reconnaissance operations, operating ahead of main force elements to detect and report enemy dispositions. Meanwhile, the Queen’s Royal Hussars, The King’s Royal Hussars, and the Royal Tank Regiment operate as the primary tank regiments of the British Army, with their reconnaissance troops ensuring that these powerful armored units move with maximum situational awareness and tactical advantage.

The new Ajax tracked reconnaissance armored vehicle represents a transformative capability for the British Army. It is equipped with a powerful 40mm Case Telescoped Cannon capable of engaging a wide range of threats, from light armored vehicles to fortified positions. Its advanced sensor suite, which includes long-range surveillance equipment, target acquisition systems, and electronic warfare capabilities, enables it to detect and engage threats beyond line of sight. The Ajax is fully digitized, featuring cutting-edge battlefield networking capabilities that allow it to share data instantly with other units, enhancing overall situational awareness and command responsiveness. Designed for survivability, the Ajax is heavily armored and can operate in high-threat environments, providing superior protection to its crew. Its six distinct variants allow it to fulfill multiple operational roles, ensuring adaptability to different mission requirements.

As of early 2025, the British Army has received 73 Ajax vehicles across all variants. A total of 589 vehicles are scheduled for delivery, with a structured handover timeline extending through 2028, including retrofitting and upgrades to meet the latest operational standards. Significantly, on April 14, 2025, General Dynamics UK announced that the 100th Ajax armoured fighting vehicle built to the latest operational standard had been completed and was scheduled for service with the Household Cavalry Regiment, highlighting the accelerating pace of deliveries and the vehicle’s readiness for frontline deployment.

With more than 180 Ajax vehicles expected to be fielded by the end of 2025 alone, the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme aims not only to replace outdated CVR(T) Scimitar platforms but also to redefine the Army’s approach to battlefield reconnaissance. This is not merely a technical upgrade; it is a comprehensive evolution in doctrine, tactics, and operational flexibility. The decision to integrate Ajax across both dedicated reconnaissance regiments and armored regiments’ reconnaissance troops reflects a broader modernization strategy centered on information dominance and rapid decision-making on the battlefield.

Moreover, the flexibility afforded by the Ajax’s family of vehicles will enable commanders to deploy it across a wide spectrum of operations — from conventional warfare to peace support and rapid reaction missions. Its digitized architecture, battlefield networking, and enhanced survivability will make it a central pillar of the British Army’s capability into the 2030s and beyond. As the Ajax is fielded across the Household Cavalry, Royal Dragoon Guards, Royal Lancers, Queen’s Royal Hussars, King’s Royal Hussars, and the Royal Tank Regiment, the British Army reinforces its commitment to operational excellence, tactical innovation, and technological superiority in an ever more complex and demanding global security environment. The arrival of Ajax heralds a new era for British armored reconnaissance — faster, smarter, and deadlier than ever before.