LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Britain said it was pausing all trials of the Ajax fighting vehicle, the latest setback for the army's troubled 6 billion pound ($8 billion) programme after years of technical faults and delays.
Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness, announced the pause on Thursday "out of an abundance of caution". It comes after he decided to pause the use of the vehicle in training and exercising in November to allow a safety investigation to take place.
The development of the vehicles, made by General Dynamics GD.N in south Wales, has been beset by difficulties since Britain ordered them in 2014.
During army trials last month, 30 troops reported feeling unwell from noise and vibration, which reports said included shaking and vomiting.
Pollard said the outcome of the safety review would be published shortly and he will assess whether to restart trials in the new year.
"Findings from the investigations into Ajax will be closely aligned to decisions in the Defence Investment Plan," Pollard said in a written ministerial statement.
The 589 Ajax vehicles were slated to enter service around 2020, but this was pushed back to 2025. The contract was the single biggest for a British armoured vehicle in 20 years.
Britain's independent spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, has raised a string of issues with military procurement, highlighting budget overruns, poor financial planning and a failure to make cost savings.
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(Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Paul Sandle)
((sarah.young@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 1109; Reuters Messaging: sarah.young.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))
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