Ex-soldier says MoD tried to silence him after posting Ajax vehicle fault videos

Former British soldier Alfie Usher uploaded three videos to the Fill Your Boots forum that captured Ajax armoured vehicles exhibiting loose components, internal drainage faults and a rear door that shut on a test dummy without safety interlocks, alongside soldiers reporting noise and vibration during Exercise Titan Storm on Salisbury Plain. The footage intensified scrutiny of the £5.5 billion Ajax programme, leading the Army to suspend training and prompting parliamentary questions from MPs such as Mark Francois.

Internal Ministry of Defence emails obtained via Freedom of Information requests show officials describing the posts as a “security breach” and attempting to engage the forum to remove the content, while also expressing concern about morale impacts. The MoD denied trying to gag Usher, stating that concerns were taken seriously and that any content issues related to security. A formal review of the Ajax programme and investigations by the Army and Defence Accident Investigation Branch have been ordered. Usher claims the ministry prioritized reputation over fixing the vehicle’s defects.