What Armoured Vehicles Does the British Army Have? Ajax, Boxer

The British Army had 4,033 armoured and protected vehicles on 1 April 2026, according to the Ministry of Defence. Most are old: 526 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles and 723 Bulldog troop carriers date back to the 1980s or earlier. Their replacements, the Ajax reconnaissance vehicle and the Boxer troop carrier, are both arriving years late, and Ajax has spent much of the past year grounded after soldiers fell ill from noise and vibration.

This guide sets out what the Army drives today, what is on order and where the programmes stand.

What armoured vehicles does the British Army have?

The Ministry of Defence divides the fleet into three groups: armoured fighting vehicles such as tanks and Warrior (1,024), armoured personnel carriers (981) and lighter protected mobility vehicles such as Jackal and Foxhound (2,028).

Ajax: the troubled reconnaissance vehicle

Ajax is a 42-tonne tracked vehicle built by General Dynamics in South Wales to replace the CVR(T) reconnaissance vehicles of the 1970s. Britain ordered 589 in 2014 in seven variants, from the turreted Ajax with a 40mm cannon to command, repair and recovery versions. The programme has been dogged by noise and vibration that injured crews during trials in 2020 and 2021. Deliveries to front-line units began only in January 2025, eight years late.

In November 2025 the Army declared Ajax ready for operations. Within weeks around 30 soldiers reported symptoms after an exercise, and in December all trials were halted. The readiness declaration was withdrawn in January 2026. After a new safety review found no breach of legal exposure limits, the government restarted limited acceptance in April 2026 under strict controls, with fixes to air filtration, heating and power. Full operating capability is now expected between late 2028 and 2029. Our profile of Ajax and its problems has the full history.

Boxer: the new troop carrier

Boxer is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle designed in Germany and the Netherlands, built in Britain by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land at Telford and KNDS UK at Stockport. The Army has 623 on order in four versions: 146 infantry carriers, 212 command vehicles, 200 specialist carriers and 65 ambulances. It is meant to replace Warrior and Bulldog in the armoured infantry. The 100th vehicle was delivered in mid-2026, about 16% of the order; at the current pace the last could arrive in the early 2030s. Boxer is also the base for the new RCH 155 howitzer described in our guide to British artillery. More detail is in our Boxer profile.

Warrior and Challenger

Warrior has carried British infantry since the 1980s, through the Gulf War, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. A plan to upgrade it with a new 40mm turret was cancelled in 2021 after years of delay, and the vehicle will be retired as Boxer arrives, leaving the Army without a tracked infantry fighting vehicle. The tanks the infantry fight alongside, Challenger 2 and its upgrade Challenger 3, are covered in our guide to British tanks and our Challenger 3 profile.

How does it compare?

The British Army’s armoured fleet is a fraction of the American one, which includes thousands of Bradley, Stryker and AMPV vehicles, as our guide to American armoured vehicles shows. The bigger problem is age: until Ajax and Boxer arrive in numbers, much of the British fleet will be older than the soldiers who use it.

Frequently asked questions

How many armoured vehicles does the British Army have?

The Ministry of Defence counted 4,033 armoured and protected vehicles on 1 April 2026, including 1,024 armoured fighting vehicles.

What is the Ajax vehicle?

A tracked reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics in Wales. Britain ordered 589 in 2014, but noise and vibration problems have delayed it by years.

Is Ajax in service?

Partly. It was declared ready in November 2025, then grounded after soldiers fell ill. Limited deliveries resumed in April 2026, and full capability is expected by 2029.

How many Boxers has the UK ordered?

623, in four variants. About 100 had been delivered by mid-2026.

When will Warrior be retired?

Warrior is being replaced by Boxer. Its upgrade was cancelled in 2021, and it will leave service as Boxer arrives.

What is the British Army’s main troop carrier?

Today it is still the Warrior and the older Bulldog. Boxer will take over as deliveries grow.