2021 Report details for project: Armoured Cavalry 2025
Project name | Armoured Cavalry 2025 - there are 8 reports for this project: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
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Organisation | MOD (D17 ) - see all reports for this organisation |
Report year | 2021 (data is from March 2021) |
Category | Military - see all reports for this category |
Description: | Ajax forms part of the Armoured Cavalry 2025 Programme. The aim of the programme is to deliver by 2025, a versatile and agile multi-role capability, operating at the heart of the Deep Reconnaissance Strike and Heavy Combat Brigades, that are able to succeed on current and future operations in the most complex and demanding operational environments. The multi-role Ajax armoured fighting vehicle will transform the Army's advanced intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability as part of the war-fighting division. It will transform the way the Army conducts Deep Ground Reconnaissance and underpins the Army's ability to war fight at the divisional level through the Heavy Brigade Combat Teams. Each Ajax has extensive capabilities, including increased lethality through automated detection systems, a 40mm stabilised cannon able to fire on the move, acoustic detectors, a laser warning system, a local situational awareness system, a high-performance power pack, and best in class protection. |
DCA (RAG) | Red |
DCA text: | Compared to financial year 19/20-Q2, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating increased from Amber to Red. This is primarily due to the following factors: The Senior Responsible Owner has adjusted the delivery confidence to Red overall. Delivery schedule delay of the Army's first vehicles meant that the Approved Initial Operating Capability baseline of July 20 was no longer achievable. This was reset to Jun 21 (Probability 50%) and Sep 21 (Probability 90%). In March 21 the Senior Responsible Owner commissioned an independent Gateway Review of the programme. This assessed the impact of late discovery technical issues during the demonstration phase of the project and the further work necessary to overcome them. It also identified a number of additional interventions necessary to de-risk the schedule to Full Operating Capability. The principle reasons for the delay experienced included a degree of optimism bias in the schedule for a new generation of armoured fighting vehicle, the technical challenges faced and evidence to support safety case generation, COVID-19 and delivery performance. A detailed action plan has been initiated to rectify the issues identified and all Full Operating Capability assumptions are being re-tested as part of this ongoing activity. Concurrently, all Initial Operating Capability vehicles have now been manufactured. Advanced First of Type training simulators have been delivered and the training of the Army's own Instructors on the ARES vehicle has commenced. The underlying technical issues now being worked through will be comprehensively addressed prior to declaration of the Ajax Initial Operating Capability. |
Start date | 2014-01-22 |
End date | 2025-04-30 |
Schedule text | Compared to financial year 19/20-Q2, the project's end-date remained scheduled to finish on 30 April 2025 This is primarily due to the following factors: Work is ongoing to test the Full Operating Capability forecast date and any update will be published in due course. |
Baseline | £819.03m |
Forecast | £634.37m |
Variance | -23.00% |
Variance text: | The budget variance exceeds 5%. Reduction in forecast spend against financial year 20/21 Control Total is driven primarily by delays experienced in the manufacturing side of the programme with activity in the following areas re-profiled into future years: Delivery of fully built vehicles, Delivery of Peacetime and Military Combat Armour Kits for AJAX vehicles, Retrofit programme of work to uplift Drop 1 standard vehicles to Drop 3 standard build configuration. Turret integration work to assemble CTC 40mm Cannon to AJAX Turret. In relation to In Service Support, In service spares weren't ordered/delivered in line with assumed levels, seeing a reduction in year and reprofile of costs into future years. |
Whole Life Cost | £6,353.94m |
WLCost text: | Compared to financial year 19/20-Q2, the projects Baseline Whole Life Cost increased from £6288.95m to £6353.94m. This is primarily due to the following factors: The Whole Life Budgets in relation to AJAX are associated with the completion of Demonstration and Manufacture activities within the programme, resulting in the delivery of 589 AJAX vehicles. The Budgets also include In Service Support until 2025, which is primarily delivered through the contracted General Dynamics UK support solution. This element delivers a support framework and purchase of spares to support in service vehicles. Although the Baseline Forecast Budget from Q2 19/20 £6288.953m to Q4 20/21 £6353.940m appears to increase by £64.987 this is because historic budgets are not adjusted as Programme costs and budgets are rolled forward into future years. The Whole Life Budget c.£6.4Bn currently covers the period up to the end of Manufacture as per the Main Gate approval. The Whole Life Costs from Q2 19/20 £6143.994m to Q4 20/21 £6005.698m have actually reduced by £138.296m. Whole Life Cost reductions were driven by removal of the Fire, Support and Overwatch requirement from the Demonstration work within the AJAX programme. Also efficiencies were realised in the In Service Support costings where modelling identified further coverage from current contract arrangement (across spares and Contractor Logistic Support) this then enabled a costing reduction. |
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Sourcefile | IPA_2021.csv |
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