GENERAL DYNAMICS UK:
GENERAL DYNAMICS UK:
£440 Million
boost to UK GDP from AJAX programme
1 in 10
GDUK employees
are veterans
7,180
jobs created and
sustained across the UK
£440 Million
boost to UK GDP from
AJAX programme
1 in 10
GDUK employees
are veterans
7,180
Jobs created and sustained across the UK
1,596
Supply chain text and figures
General Dynamics have been a trusted partner to Britain’s armed forces since 1962, equipping tens of thousands of vehicles and hundreds of thousands of armed forces personnel, keeping Britain safe at home and securing our allies abroad.
We operate across the UK, from our Armoured Fighting Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Merthyr Tydfil to critical avionics components manufacturing in Hastings to our engineering centre of excellence in Oakdale. We support jobs and growth in every region of the UK across our supply chain.
Today, we are one of the UK’s largest defence companies and a lead supplier to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
TRUSTED PARTNER TO BRITAIN’S ARMED FORCES
Our Ajax programme represents a landmark investment in the UK’s defence sector, with approximately £5.5 billion committed to delivering one of the most advanced armoured vehicle platforms in the world. This investment has not only enabled cutting-edge military capability but has also acted as a powerful economic stimulus — creating and sustaining
OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT
over 4,100 jobs across the UK, including more than 700 highly skilled roles at General Dynamics facilities in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale, South Wales. It has revitalised the UK’s sovereign land systems industrial base, reversing decades of decline and positioning the UK as a global leader in armoured vehicle design, manufacturing, and support.
Our Ajax programme represents a landmark investment in the UK’s defence sector, with approximately £5.5 billion committed to delivering one of the most advanced armoured vehicle platforms in the world. This investment has not only enabled cutting-edge military capability but has also acted as a powerful economic stimulus—creating and sustaining over 4,100 jobs across the UK, including more than 700 highly skilled roles at General Dynamics facilities in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale, South Wales. It has revitalised the UK’s sovereign land systems industrial base, reversing decades of decline and positioning the UK as a global leader in armoured vehicle design, manufacturing, and support.
Ajax is described an “Apache on tracks” by the former Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders
Ajax is the next-generation of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV). Fully-digital and fully-integrated with the ability to adapt through continual engineering and software enhancements based on user feedback, it enables soldiers to ‘See First, Decide First, Act First’ on the modern battlefield. Ajax represents a step-change in operational effectiveness and is central to the British Army’s digital transformation.
Providing best-in-class protection and survivability, reliability and mobility, and all-weather Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Recognition (ISTAR), the AJAX Family of Vehicles (FoV) enable sustained, expeditionary, full-spectrum and network-enabled operations with a reduced logistics footprint.
We are currently delivering 589 AJAX vehicles across six variants to the British Army, sustaining over 700 highly skilled jobs in South Wales and creating over 4,100 jobs at 230 UK-based companies.
THE AJAX PROGRAMME
“…it is credible, lethal and essential. Combined with Challenger 3, air power, drones and modern gunnery, it restores a genuine all-arms capability.”
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon - The Daily Telegraph, 26th January 2026
Read more
“…it is credible, lethal and essential. Combined with Challenger 3, air power, drones and modern gunnery, it restores a genuine all-arms capability.”
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
- The Daily Telegraph, 26th January 2026
Read more
SAFETY IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY
Ajax is the most tested and scrutinised combat vehicle that General Dynamics has yet produced. And when it comes to issues of noise and vibration it is the most extensively tested armoured vehicle in the world.
We now have a clear and comprehensive safety case worldwide –covering crew ergonomics, vibration exposure, and acoustic protection.
Over 42,000 km of scientifically verified trials and 30,000 live-fire rounds, far exceeding the typical 10,000 – 15,000 km benchmark seen on comparable NATO platforms. Testing and analysis is conducted with specialist acoustic and vibration experts, reviewed by independent authorities.
Every vehicle that leaves our factory in Wales is jointly tested and approved by General Dynamics, the British Army and the Ministry of Defence.
Following this extensive testing, Ajax achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in November 2025, making it ready for operational use.
COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITIES
We have been an active participant in the UK since 1962. Nationwide, General Dynamics has made significant, long-term investments in local talent, infrastructure, and academia, creating a sustainable pipeline of skills and opportunity.
This includes strategic partnerships with local colleges, universities, and apprenticeship schemes, to cultivate a new generation of highly skilled professionals in Wales and across the UK.
This “grow our own” approach has not only filled critical roles in engineering, manufacturing, and programme management but has also embedded long-term capability in the region—ensuring that Wales becomes and remains the home of UK armoured vehicle design, development, production, and support, supported by a nationwide supply-chain of SMEs.
OUR SOCIAL IMPACT
We place strong emphasis on social value and community engagement. We have been a Signatory of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant since 2011 and hold a Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for supporting veterans and reservists.
We have charitable partnerships with the Army Benevolent Fund, Gurkha Welfare Trust, Combat Stress, SSAFA, Llamau and Coalfields Regeneration Trust.