The latest report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee contains a striking observation about the Army's troubled Ajax armoured vehicle programme. It concludes that the Ministry of Defence is placing "unrealistic expectations" on soldiers operating the vehicle safely while underlying noise and vibration issues remain unresolved.

Anyone who has spent any time in an armoured vehicle – which I have – will know that a certain amount of 'track bashing' and other maintenance is involved. So this quote from the report really caught my attention:

The Department now expects soldiers to do maintenance checks every time they stop the vehicle...

Anyone who has spent any time in an armoured vehicle – which I have – will know that a certain amount of 'track bashing' and other maintenance is involved.

But the idea of having to hop out and go through a check list every time the vehicle stops is frankly ludicrous.

There are many planned variants in the Ajak family, but they are all potentially for use in the combat zone.

The Public Accounts Committee's criticism goes to the heart of a principle which BAFF has long supported: our people deserve equipment that is safe, effective and fit for purpose.

The Ajax programme has already suffered years of delay, escalating costs and repeated technical concerns. The latest controversy follows Exercise Titan Storm in late 2025, during which 33 soldiers reported symptoms associated with noise and vibration exposure after operating Ajax vehicles. Five

Inverclyde Council is one of several Scottish local authorities which have agreed to award the Freedom of their area to the Royal Regiment of Scotland in this, its 20th year.

After the Glasgow controversy it was pleasant to learn from the Greenock Telegraph that the Council have now confirmed the date and arrangements for the Regiment's Freedom Ceremony.

We hope everyone has a great day when it happens.

The Freedom will be the first conferred by Inverclyde on any individual or group since the Council was formed in 1996. In contrast to the political divergence in Glasgow, it's worth noting that the Inverclyde decision to award the Freedom was agreed unanimously one year ago.

BAFF is non-politically-partisan, but we also note that the good councillors of Inverclyde comprise 9 Labour (minority administration), 6 SNP, 5 Independent and 2 Conservative.

So it can be done.

We thought it might assist Glasgow City Council members if they were to see an example of a previous parade in which the Freedom of a council area was formally conferred on the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Here's a high-quality video of the Freedom Ceremony on 12th October, 2015 conferring on the Regiment the Freedom of the Highlands:

[Thanks to YouTube channel The Big Drum, includes timings and music details]

BAFF has unsurprisingly added its voice to calls for Glasgow City Council to reconsider its refusal of a motion to confer the Freedom of the City upon the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

BAFF also asked me to look further into this.

In a good Scots phrase, it's A Right Fankle.

BAFF is non-partisan in political party terms. My personal view, shared by everyone I've spoken to so far, is that the decision was thoroughly misguided.

But I suspect that the last thing the Regiment would want, in this its 20th anniversary year, is to be treated as a political football by one side or the other in any partisan or constitutional debate.

 What would the grant of the Freedom involve? In Scotland it's purely an honour and a mark of connection with the recipient. Historically the Freedom of Glasgow was said to include the right to graze one's cows on Glasgow Green and to fish on the Clyde, but the legislation simply refers to "honorary freemen" without authority for such rights.

The Freedom scroll traditionally includes wording such as “the right, privilege and honour to march through the streets of [Council area] with bayonets fixed, drums beating, colours flying and bands [or pipes] playing", but this only refers to approved ceremonial parades and has no legal effect.

I will return to the legal position and other aspects of this fankle.

regards, Douglas Young 

Congratulations to the whole team involved in getting medical assistance and supplies to the remote British Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha to help a British national with suspected hantavirus.

The UK Health Security Agency had confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus.

Six paratroopers, a Royal Air Force (RAF) consultant doctor and an army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted to the island, followed by oxygen and medical supplies.

An RAF A400M transport aircraft made the 9-10 hour 4,200 mile flight from RAF Brize Norton to Ascension Island, supported by an RAF Voyager tanker aircraft. This was followed by a 2000-mile flight to Tristan da Cunha.

One of several unusual features of the mission is that both the doctor and nurse reportedly made a tandem jump attached to a parachutist, an activity more usually associated with sponsored charity jumps and 'bucket lists'.

At one time there would have been no difficulty in sourcing current parachute-trained medical personnel. All the same, tandem jumping is an interesting capability for which there could be other occasions in emergency.

As well as providing vital humanitarian support this well-conducted operation was a timely reminder of a capability rapidly to reinforce British overseas territory.