Documents
General Dynamics Land Systems
Ajax
Tracked armored reconnaissance and fighting vehicle family built for the British Army by General Dynamics Land Systems UK, fitted with a 40 mm cased telescoped cannon and advanced sensors for a scout and strike role. The program suffered years of delay tied to vibration and noise problems before entering service.
In service since 2023 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
70
km/h
500
km range
40
mm gun
38,000
kg
💲 ≈ $5,700,000, Approximate average unit cost across the Ajax family
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
UK export-licensed
Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.
Channel: Government-to-government or direct
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2023. Status: active · ~148 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$14M – $20M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 70 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 500 km |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 40 mm CT40 cased telescoped cannon |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 40 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 265 |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Modular composite armor |
|---|---|
| Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets. | No |
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 7.62 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3.35 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 2.98 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 38,000 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 3 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 3 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | MTU 8V199 diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 800 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | General Dynamics UK sensor suite, commander's panoramic sight |
|---|---|
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from. | 40 mm |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $5,700,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 148 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Land Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
Ajax vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax has a maximum speed of 70 km/h.
What is the range of the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax has a maximum range of 500 km.
How much does the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax weigh? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax has a combat weight of 38,000 kg.
How many crew does the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax require? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax's primary weapon is the 40 mm CT40 cased telescoped cannon.
What engine does the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax use? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax is powered by the MTU 8V199 diesel.
What is the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax used for? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax is a ifv / apc typically used for isr, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax cost? +
The General Dynamics Land Systems Ajax has an approximate unit cost of 5,700,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Thales Group
Hawkei
FNSS Defence Systems
PARS 6x6
Santa Barbara Sistemas
ASCOD
General Dynamics Land Systems
LAV-25
Related coverage
Ajax in the news
Article buying · Aug 2, 2026
IFV Autocannon Caliber: Why 30mm Isn't a Real Standard
30mm arms 19 of 55 IFVs in the WeaponSpecs database, more than any other caliber, but two incompatible ammunition families mean it isn't one true standard.
Article industry · Jul 17, 2026
Troop Capacity Per Ton: What IFV Weight Actually Buys
FNSS Zaha carries 21 troops at 30 tonnes, more than any IFV in our database; Ajax carries 3 at 38 tonnes, a 13.96x range across 67 ranked systems.
Article guide · Jul 13, 2026
The 10 Best Infantry Fighting Vehicles of 2026, Ranked
A 10-to-1 countdown of the best infantry fighting vehicles of 2026, ranked on real combat record, protection, firepower and program maturity.