Tank troubles

[Tin basher]

(If true) It seems our brown colleagues are having bother with their new mobile targets. Imagine that an MOD procurement running into millions that is late on delivery and doesn't do what it set out to do. It beggars belief that this kind of ineptitude keeps occurring surely by now in these budget conscious days where every thing is scrutinised and every penny is monitored this sort off c0ck up should have ended. Whose name and signature is at the bottom of the contract?

Defence minister 'concerned' no one knows why army tanks are so noisy

Jeremy Quin, the minister for defence procurement, said the government was 'very concerned' that a new fleet of Ajax tanks for the Army were reportedly causing excessive noise and vibrations.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"The government is 'very concerned' about noises and vibrations in new Army tanks that make them practically inoperable. Jeremy Quin, the minister for defence procurement, confirmed that crews testing out Ajax tanks, the new generation of armoured fighting vehicles, may have been exposed to excessive noise that made some sick. The government has ordered more than 580 of the tanks in a range of US-designed models which are being built in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. But so far only 14 without turrets have been delivered because the project has been beset by delays and problems."

 

[Spearmint]

I'd be interested in how the Safety Case reads and if these hazards were correctly mitigated or ignored for budgetry reasons.....

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

Same old same old......

 

[busby1971]

Looks like some of these were adapted to accommodate extra bits and bobs post design.

 

[Tin basher]

I'd be interested in how the Safety Case reads and if these hazards were correctly mitigated or ignored for budgetry reasons.....

"Trials were halted for four months to March after crews reportedly suffered nausea, swollen joints and tinnitus."

They seem to have tried some form of mitigation for the issues but.......

"Testing resumed with 'mitigations' in place but has now been halted again.....This long-running troubled programme requires ongoing intense work by our industrial partners and ourselves to ensure its delivery."

Trials £5.5 billion Ajax armoured vehicles are halted for SECOND time

The Ministry of Defence said 'all Ajax trials have been suspended' following renewed concern about noise which has left crews suffering from nausea, swollen joints and tinnitus during operations.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

That sounds like constant vibration. Surprise no loss of filling and breast implants. Only thing that kept the eyeballs from falling out was the helmet and goggles. In the meantime the braincells are still spinning at the same speed as Saturn.

 

[Tin basher]

It seems there are rumours around to scrap the whole deal and why not we've only spent £4 billion so far.

" The Army is set to scrap a £5.5 billion 'light tank' before it has entered service. In tests, the Ajax armoured vehicle could not be fired on the move or go faster than 20 mph..... The Ministry of Defence has already spent £4 billion on Ajax but only 26 of the 589 ordered in 2014 have been delivered. Yesterday defence minister Jeremy Quin told MPs an independent expert is being sought to evaluate the project and admitted it may be cancelled. Major General Timothy Hodgetts told the defence select committee the Army was now looking at alternatives."

Army set to axe £5.5billion Ajax 'light tank'

Defence minister Jeremy Quin told MPs an independent expert is being sought to evaluate the project and admitted it may be cancelled.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Talk Wrench]

It seems there are rumours around to scrap the whole deal and why not we've only spent £4 billion so far.

" The Army is set to scrap a £5.5 billion 'light tank' before it has entered service. In tests, the Ajax armoured vehicle could not be fired on the move or go faster than 20 mph..... The Ministry of Defence has already spent £4 billion on Ajax but only 26 of the 589 ordered in 2014 have been delivered. Yesterday defence minister Jeremy Quin told MPs an independent expert is being sought to evaluate the project and admitted it may be cancelled. Major General Timothy Hodgetts told the defence select committee the Army was now looking at alternatives."

Army set to axe £5.5billion Ajax 'light tank'

Defence minister Jeremy Quin told MPs an independent expert is being sought to evaluate the project and admitted it may be cancelled.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I may be confusing this with something else, but wasn't Ajax supposed to fit in an A400M as part of a European wide interchangeability programme for pooling resources and assets?

It does appear to coincide with a push to purchase American and non European made equipment.

 

[Late & Tired]

They should discuss the noise issue with the team who designed the C130 Hercules; they did a truly marvellous job of ensuring that almost 100% of the noise, droning and vibration was kept on the inside of the frame.

 

[Talk Wrench]

I'm not a fan of the Mail, but their headline perfectly sums up the debacle....

How top brass blew £3.5billion on a dud that is a menace to troops

The noise and vibrations that members of the British Army trials team endured while trying out the latest high-tech vehicle were insufferable.

mol.im

 

[Tin basher]

I may be confusing this with something else, but wasn't Ajax supposed to fit in an A400M as part of a European wide interchangeability programme for pooling resources and assets?

It does appear to coincide with a push to purchase American and non European made equipment.

From your mail link

"The Ajax light tank that makes its drivers sick. One that cannot fire on the move as vibrations affect the gun stabilisation system, and which, due to this issue should not be driven faster than 20 mph......An armoured vehicle so unwieldy it can’t fit into transport aircraft."

Seems to have been a monumental cluster so let the expensive corporate legal wrangling begin

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

Trying to think of the film which had Eddie Murphy was in, about a Tank that failed until they added a piece of kit happens to be a toy.

 

[Spearmint]

Trying to think of the film which had Eddie Murphy was in, about a Tank that failed until they added a piece of kit happens to be a toy.

 

[UlsterExile]

Having been in a PT as a blue suit, the procurement process is flawed and also the requirement process is also flawed. All set out out by senior officers and politicians, not what is actually required. by the troops on the ground.

Buying the platform is the cheap part, the support contract is where the money is, Nimrod is a prime example when it was shut down before it even got off the ground (so to speak).

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

Aye thats the fellow. Thought is was Dudley Moore wasn't too sure. He was the designer I think but Eddie Murphy was the Tank Commander who tank kept going haywire until Dudley Moore added his son Toy to fix it.

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

Having been in a PT as a blue suit, the procurement process is flawed and also the requirement process is also flawed. All set out out by senior officers and politicians, not what is actually required. by the troops on the ground.

Buying the platform is the cheap part, the support contract is where the money is, Nimrod is a prime example when it was shut down before it even got off the ground (so to speak).

I think that was the Mk4 Nimrod as the news reported the airframes being cut up. Wasn't this down to the White Elephant (Fat bum Fat Nose) as it was known at Kinloss Airshow kept failing. Nice aircraft though even when I was at Kinloss in 85-88.

 

[Tin basher]

Wasn't this down to the White Elephant (Fat bum Fat Nose) as it was known at Kinloss Airshow kept failing.

That was the AEW3 Nimrod, one ended up at Finningley as a multi engine ground running trainer platform thing.

British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

That was the AEW3 Nimrod, one ended up at Finningley as a multi engine ground running trainer platform thing.

British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Aye they could never retire the 40,000 rivets in flying formation Shackleton from Lossiemouth. Even the one on guard duty had less flying hours and kept getting robbed for parts. I use to see the AEW3 or Fat Nose trundle past by my NLS stores on nightshift and amaze how it doesn't bottom out nose wise near the tower. Still funny sight seeing a White Elephant sticker plonked on the side before the nose.

 

[Rigga]

Remember that your not buying a cheap printer - they’re selling you the ink.

 

[UlsterExile]

I think that was the Mk4 Nimrod as the news reported the airframes being cut up. Wasn't this down to the White Elephant (Fat bum Fat Nose) as it was known at Kinloss Airshow kept failing. Nice aircraft though even when I was at Kinloss in 85-88.

Wan't 100% sure what Mk it was but something like that. The money we pay for something that has an Airworthiness cert attached to it , is frightening. Not saying that a cost is not justified but some things i have seen is just daylight robbery but we have no option but to pay the price.