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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.
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 Stronger than 31% of IFVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 500 km Stronger than 26% of IFVs
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 Stronger than 59% of IFVs
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 Bottom 4% of IFVs
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 Stronger than 89% of IFVs
- 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
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 Bottom 3% of IFVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of IFVs
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
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.
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