Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Initial Operating Capability for the AJAX armoured fighting vehicle can be declared prior to the demonstration of (a) static versus moving firing and (b) moving versus moving firing.

Initial Operating Capability (IOC) equates to the delivery of the first 25 Capability Drop 1 Ajax vehicles, (8 ARES, 2 ATLAS, 3 APOLLO and 12 AJAX), and their associated support, training and infrastructure packages and is designed to enable vehicle familiarisation, initial training and experimentation, including static firing. Further system integration and fire on the move capability is planned to be cleared next as part of the operationally deployable Capability Drop 3 level.

As I have said previously to the House, we will not accept a vehicle that falls short of our requirements, and will not declare IOC without establishing a path to resolution on the noise and vibration issues.

The sequential steps for the demonstration phase for AJAX mean that capability will be enhanced by a series of capability drops. Capability drop 3 vehicles will enable the AJAX to be deployed on Operations. The final capability drop (4) will deliver the final vehicles and enable Full Operating Capability to be declared.

I would further refer the right hon. Member to the answers I gave on 14 June 2021 to Questions 12074 and 12968.