Photo: British Army

The first six Ares armoured vehicles, manufactured at General Dynamic’s facility in Merthyr Tydfil, were delivered to the Household Cavalry Regiment at Bulford in Wiltshire at the end of last month.

Ares and the other variants in the Ajax family of armoured vehicles, will replace the Army’s Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) vehicles which have been the mainstay of armoured reconnaissance for almost 50 years.

CVR(T) has proved itself on the battlefield in the Falklands and in the deserts of the Middle East but now requires a replacement to maintain the British Army’s position as a leading performer and to match the needs of the 21st century. Named for the ancient Greek god of war, Ares delivers a step-change in the British Army’s battlefield capability.

The Ajax family consists of Ares, a troop-carrying reconnaissance vehicle, armed with a powerful 40mm cannon, support variants Apollo and Atlas, a command and control variant Athena and Argus, an engineer variant.

The vehicles will give the Army’s Armoured Infantry and Strike Brigades a critical advantage over opponents, through a combination of the latest technology and exemplary levels of crew protection.

Colonel Justin Kingsford, the Ajax programme director said: “This is an exciting moment for the Army. The delivery of Ares is an important step on our journey to give the British Army an amazing ‘state of the art’, world-beating armoured fighting vehicle.

"Ajax will allow us to manage battlespace information faster from a modern digitised platform, with increased lethality through the new 40mm cannon.

"Better mobility, alongside enhanced protection levels and increased reliability underline the transformational nature of the capability. A comprehensive simulated training suite supports this fleet and ensures we invest fully in our crews."