British military announces first delivery of Ajax armoured vehicles – eight years late

First 50 vehicles, costing nearly 10m each, finally ready to deploy to Nato's eastern flank, where drones now dominate

Britain's military has announced the first delivery of Ajax armoured vehicles, eight years behind schedule and amid questions about their relevance as cheap drones dominate the battlefields of Ukraine.

The junior defence minister Luke Pollard said the first 50 vehicles, costing nearly 10m each, were ready to deploy on Nato's eastern flank, though he acknowledged the problems of the past when delivery deadlines of 2017, 2020 and 2021 were all missed.