General Dynamics Conducts Air Portability Tests on U.K.’s Ajax Ground Vehicle Platform

A U.K. subsidiary of General Dynamics has concluded initial air portability tests on the Ajax family of armored fighting vehicles for the British army.

General Dynamics land Systems-UK tested how the ARES variant prototype would load into the cargo hold of the British air force’s C-17A Globemaster III and A400M Atlas transport planes during the Ajax program trials, General Dynamics said Tuesday.

Kevin Connell, vice president of General Dynamics land Systems-UK, said the tests followed a series of live-fire trials on the Ajax fleet in April.

The ARES platform is designed to transport U.K.’s specialist troops and support warfighters in the battlefield.

The first British Army squadron is scheduled to receive Ajax vehicles in mid-2019.