I have a couple of updates; one will require a change to its
START
date and the next I believe if already taken for action, will require no change.
ISRAEL: The
EITAN kind've made us "
pull out our remaining hair" a little as Israel tends to be quiet about equipment details until they're fielded.
Based on the following ref. representing
many reporting the same news, change...
ISRAEL/CHANGE/EITAN IFV/UNIT 071/START/10/2022 vice 03/2021//
ISRAEL/ADD/EITAN APC/START/10/2022/WEAPON 12.7mm RWS/USE UNIT 071 AS MODEL//
ISRAEL/ADD/EITAN APC/START/10/2022/WEAPON 40mm RWS/USE UNIT 071 AS MODEL//I believe this a "safe" early date, but JAN 2023 might be better. 
ALL to have "IRON FIST". Investigating use of ATGM on EITAN IFV.
Reason for change, from ref. "Allison Transmission received the
first production order in September 2021" concerning the transmissions for the
EITAN. EITAN wasn't scheduled to be
fielded until late/or end of 2021. This transmission order obviously
won't support the in game or projected dates. We did the best we could with what
information we had at the time. I should point out again, this is a
joint U.S. and ISRAELI project.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...g_vehicle.html
https://defense-update.com/20200209_eitan-3.html
(NOT NOW! But here for context.)
If I missed the APCs in the OOB my apologies.
UK:
AJAX update again, I know I submitted a date change for around
mid-2023, this latest from last month is making it look like that date is
probably going to be closer than the current
UNIT 602 SEP 2022 one. I'm going to post various quotes from this next ref.
First the title; obviously in time with the Bond movie release one would guess...
"
Shaken and stirred: British Army’s Ajax troubles cast a long shadow" and that's the lighter side of the rest. This article as others I've recently posted still casts a
very dire possibility it can still be cancelled. They are still being produced at this time.
"
Twenty-five vehicles were delivered to the British Army by
June 2021 but have yet to be accepted into service due to a number of issues related to noise and vibration."
"The problems with
noise and vibration have pitched Ajax at the centre of a controversy here, with some
issue experts comparing the procurement with the decision to cancel the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft in 2010."
The
NIMROD cancellation caused quite a stir at the time.
Ajax vehicles
should have been in service by now, but
Quin (Procurement Minister. Mine) told Parliament recently that until a long-term solution was found it was “
not possible to determine a
realistic timescale for declaration of
initial operating capability or the later introduction of
Ajax vehicles into operational service with the Army. ”
This issue was brought up in the forum. We might never get the true numbers of personnel involved the below does "
frame it" somewhat.
"
Several hundred personnel have had to undergo possible hearing and vibration injury tests related to the Ajax trials."
ARES now involved as well.
"Following the authorization of an
MoD safety panel, a second
ARES armored personnel carrier variant of the Ajax is being added to the small fleet of vehicles now gathering data in an effort to resolve the problems."
"The current trials
only relate to the
noise and vibration issues, and broader testing of the vehicle
remains on hold. "
So, no
IOC or
FOC yet this applies to
ARES as well.
To the reader you would do well to read the article in full.
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-...a-long-shadow/
Regards,
Pat
UPDATE @ 2037 concerning
AJAX. From
JANE'S those affected and treated for hearing and vibration medical issues is at
310 soldiers and were not acted upon by the British Army. That from an MOD Minister to Parliament. Things are to get nasty.
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/l...on-uk-mod-says