Stryker
- Alternate use: Stryker Corporation manufactures medical and orthopedic products.
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| Infantry Fighting Variant equipped with the .50 caliber machine gun | |
| Country Of Origin: | United States |
| Designation: | Infantry Fighting Vehicle |
| Configuration: | 8 x 8 |
| Manufacturer: | General Dynamics Land Systems |
| Crew: | 4 |
| Length: | 6.95 m (22.92 ft) |
| Width: | 2.72 m (8.97 ft) |
| Height: | 2.64 m (8.72 ft) |
| Weight: | 16,472 kg 18.12 t (ICV) 18,772 kg 20.65 t (MGS) |
| Clearance: | |
| Fording: | |
| Obstacle: | |
| Trench: | |
| Speed: | 100 km/h (62 mph) (road) km/h (off-road) |
| Range: | 502 km (312 miles) |
| Primary armament: | M68A1E4 105 mm gun M2 .50 caliber gun 2 x M6 smoke grenades |
| Secondary armament: | .50-caliber M2 gun MK19 40mm grenade machine gun or MK240 7.62mm machine gun 4 x M6 smoke grenades |
| Armour: | mm |
| Power plant: | 350 hp |
The Stryker is a family of eight wheeled, all wheel drive, armored combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems and is in current use by the US Army. It is the first military vehicle to enter service in the US military since the M1 Abrams tank in the 1980s. The Stryker is based on the LAV III light-armoured vehicle, which in turn is based on the Mowag Piranha.
Stryker is named in honor of two American servicemen: Robert F. Stryker, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, and Pfc. Stuart S. Stryker, who received the award for his actions during World War II. Both men were killed in action.
Production history
The Stryker Brigade Combat Team idea is relatively new and based upon the Brigade Combat Team Doctrine. A newer generation of equipment such as the Stryker digitally connected through military C4I networks greatly enhance the overall units lethality and ability to react to hostile forces. This light and mobile team was championed by the 34th U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki.
The Stryker was recalled from duty early in Iraq in order to be retrofitted with armor capable of adequately defending against rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attacks that it would likely face in Iraq. It has since been redeployed with the "Catcher's Mask" style deflector (known as slat armor) that pre-detonates a RPG's high explosive (HE) thereby reducing the overall penetration power and increasing the durability of the vehicle.
Variants
Anti-Tank Guided Missile Variant equipped
with the TOW missile and M240B machine gun
The Stryker chassis is very modular in design to tout increased survivability and supports a wide range of inter-changeable parts to create different variants. The two main chassis are the Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS). The MGS is a heavier chassis to support a 105mm M68A1 rifled cannon, the same gun system as was used on the original M1 variant of the Abrams main battle tank.
The Stryker has the following configurations with more planned in the future:
- Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Variant (NBC RV)
- Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) armed with TOW missile
- Mortar Carrier (MC) armed with 120mm mortar
- Medical Evacuation Variant (MEV)
- Engineer Squad Variant (ESV)
- Command Variant (CV)
- Fire Support Variant (FSV)
- Reconnaissance Variant (RV)
- Mobile Gun System (MGS)
All Strykers share common parts, self recovering abilities, and bullet resistant self inflating (run-flat) tires, along with their anti-RPG slat armor. Armament: M2 .50 cal machine gun, MK19 grenade machine gun, TOW anti-tank guided missile, M240B machine gun.
The Strykers seen in US Army service are criticized for being poorly armed compared with similar vehicles, like the similar Coyote. The Stryker could mount the same turret, with 25mm autocannon as the Coyote or the USMC's LAV. But vehicles equipped with this turret are too tall to drive on and drive off a C-130 transport aircraft. Being able to drive off the C-130, and right into combat, was regarded as more important than providing the occupants with a more powerful weapon.
Operators
Combat history
See also
External links
There's a disc jockey named Stryker from the Los Angeles, California radio station KROQ.