Uk Troops Treated For Hearing Problems In Final Tests Of Ajax Armoured Vehicle

Soldiers had to beryllium fixed aesculapian curen for proceeding problems this summertime during last testing of nan British army’s caller Ajax armoured vehicle, whose preamble has been delayed for respective years amid concerns astir deafness.

The model, which costs £5.5bn for 589 vehicles, was nevertheless classified arsenic fresh for deployment successful September. An investigation concluded location were “no systemic issues” – but location stay wellness concerns among nan troops involved.

One root said “people are still being hurt”. It is understood that a mini number of soldiers reported sound and vibration concerns and had to beryllium processed astatine a subject aesculapian centre.

Luke Pollard, a inferior defence minister, said connected Wednesday Ajax’s sound and vibration problems were “firmly successful nan past” astatine a motorboat arena for nan armoured vehicle, which has been formally accepted into service service.

“If it were not safe, we would not beryllium putting it successful nan hands of our frontline troops,” Pollard said. “I’ve been reassured from nan apical of nan service down to nan folks that activity connected nan level that it is safe.”

But subsequently, erstwhile nan Ministry of Defence (MoD) was asked astir issues raised by soldiers, a spokesperson acknowledged location had been problems. “Where concerns were raised complete nan summer, these were investigated by a information squad and nary systemic issues were found,” they said.

The MoD would not opportunity precisely really galore were treated aft sound complaints, though it said location had been nary reports of tinnitus mobility sickness. Care took spot successful a superior GP-style attraction facility, it added.

Concerns astir deafness from subject work person plagued nan British service for decades. In September, thousands of UK veterans launched a ineligible claim against 3M, saying its combat earplugs, utilized successful Afghanistan and elsewhere, were not effective. The US shaper says its merchandise worked if utilized properly.

This week journalists toured nan Ajax manufacturing site, a General Dynamics mill successful Merthyr Tydfil, and were transported connected nan 7.6-metre-long tracked vehicle, which weighs astir 40 tonnes and has a apical velocity of conscionable complete 40mph (65km/h).

A metre connected a mobile telephone showed a reference of 90 decibels from a fewer metres away. Long aliases repeated vulnerability astatine sounds supra 85 decibels tin origin proceeding loss, and employers must supply protection if that level is exceeded, according to nan Health and Safety Executive.

The Ajax conveyance astatine an service arena this summer. The model’s transportation is 8 years late. Photograph: PA Images/Alamy

The unit and those riding onboard were provided pinch a dual furniture of protection – earplugs and headphones – and nan MoD said information had improved erstwhile this strategy was introduced. Soldiers connected aliases successful a moving Ajax could move for six hours and still beryllium three-quarters beneath information limits, defence sources said.

Ajax has been delayed by years, astir precocious because of concerns astir sound and vibration. It was first intended to beryllium introduced successful 2017, past successful 2020 and 2021, but tests had to beryllium halted successful June 2021 because of information concerns.

A review, published successful December 2021, revealed that 11 group retired of 310 who tested Ajax had “long-term restrictions connected sound vulnerability recommended” by a aesculapian assessment, while 17 were nether master outpatient care.

At nan time, a defence curate successful nan past Conservative authorities said nan section showed nan service did not spot arsenic precocious a worth connected information as costs and worth for money.