It is time for retirement for the Scorpion Family (CVR (T) / Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)) platforms, which are successfully operating in many countries around the world.
The British Army started taking deliveries under the Ajax Tracked Armoured Vehicle Program, which was launched to meet the requirements of the modern battlefield. In this context, the first batch of Ares tracked armoured vehicles entered the household Cavalry Regiment based in Wiltshire in Bulford. Thus, six of the Ajax family vehicles, the tracked armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle variant, were delivered.
The platforms will replace the CVR (T), which are currently in operation with different variants for nearly 50 years, have been developed within General Dynamics UK. The acquisition process of platforms, which based on ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development (Pizarro and Ulan)), which are actively using by Austria and Spain, is dates back to the FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) Program, which was launched in 2000s. Platforms developed in different models such as their predecessor CVR (T) are suitable for use in a network-centric combat environment. The vehicles weigh 38 tons and get their propelled by the power pack consisting of MTU-product 800BG 8V199 diesel engine and RENK HSWL256B gearbox. Other models of vehicles that can be equipped with different weapon systems according to the task configuration, named as Ajax, Apollo, Atlas, Athena and Argus.
