Stryker Light Armored Vehicle

The Stryker Light Armored Vehicle is a highly deployable, wheeled armored vehicle that combines firepower, battlefield mobility, survivability and versatility, with reduced logistics requirements. The Stryker's primary mission is simple: get the warfighters to the battle faster.

M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle from 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), fitted with slat armor cage, 31 March 2005
M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle from 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), fitted with slat armor cage, 31 March 2005.

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History of the Stryker Light Armored Vehicle

The Army awarded the contract for the Interim Armored Vehicle to a joint venture between units of General Dynamics Corp. and General Motors Corp. in November 2000. On 27 February 2002, the U.S. Army formally named its new Interim Armored Vehicle the “Stryker" in a ceremony at Fort Lauderdale, FL. During the summer of 2002, Strykers successfully deployed from C-130 and C-17 aircraft during demonstration at Fort Irwin, CA.

Stryker was named in honor of two Medal of Honor recipients: Pfc. Stuart S. Stryker, who served in World War II, and Spc. Robert F. Stryker, who served in Vietnam.

The Stryker will be a primary weapons platform for the Interim Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) assigned over 300 vehicles each. It will assist the IBCT in covering the near-term capabilities gap between Legacy Force heavy and light units.

Characteristics of the Stryker Light Armored Vehicle

Stryker is a wheeled armored vehicle 23 ft. long, by 9 ft. wide and high, weighing 38,000 pounds, driven by a 350hp engine. It is a family of ten different vehicles, tabulated below, with four-wheel drive that selectively becomes eight-wheel drive. The vehicle has a maximum range of 312 miles. The Stryker ICV carries a two-man crew and a squad of nine infantry soldiers. Like all Strykers it has 14.5mm armor protection all around and protection on the roof. Add-on armor kits enable the Stryker to withstand RPG-7 threats as well. The Stryker can be deployed by C-130, C-17 and C-5 aircraft and be combat-capable upon arrival.

Stryker Versions

There are two basic versions (ICV and MGS) plus eight other variants:

  • M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), with capabilities:
  • M1128 Mobile Gun System (MGS), adds a turret and is armed with:
    • M68A1E4 105mm cannon
    • M2 50-caliber commander's machine gun
    • two M6 smoke grenade launchers.
  • M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicle (RV)
  • M1129 Mortar Carrier Vehicle (MC)
  • M1130 Command Vehicle (CV)
  • M1131 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV)
  • M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicle (ESV)
  • M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV)
  • M1134 Anti-Tank Guided Missile Vehicle (ATGM
  • M1135 Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBC RV)

The vehicles have robust armor protection, can sustain speeds of 60 miles-per-hour, have parts commonality and self-recovery abilities as well as a central tire inflation system.

M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)
M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV).

M1130 Stryker Command Vehicle (CV), Kilo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Daegu Air Base, Korea, 25 March 2006
M1130 Stryker Command Vehicle (CV), Kilo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Daegu Air Base, Korea, 25 March 2006.

M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Sinjar, Ninawa Province, Iraq, 31 May 2006.
M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Sinjar, Ninawa Province, Iraq, 31 May 2006.

M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) fitted with a Slat Armor cage, 1st Bn, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Mosul, Iraq, 29 September 2005.
M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) fitted with a Slat Armor cage, 1st Bn, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Mosul, Iraq, 29 September 2005.

M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) fitted with a Slat Armor cage, on patrol in Iraq near the Syrian border, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 11 August 2005.
M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) fitted with a Slat Armor cage, on patrol in Iraq near the Syrian border, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 11 August 2005.

M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS), test firing, 2006.
M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS), test firing, 2006.

M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS)
M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS).

The M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) is the Battalion Aid Station for brigade units, providing treatment for serious injury and advanced trauma cases. The first Stryker MEVs were delivered to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, WA, in March 2003
The M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) is the Battalion Aid Station for brigade units, providing treatment for serious injury and advanced trauma cases. The first Stryker MEVs were delivered to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Lewis, WA, in March 2003.

Thanks to Bob Pettit for suggestions about this page.