India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, has pursued a transformative foreign policy, prioritizing relations with the United States and the West. Notably, these new and improved relations have manifested first as a result of shared anxieties over the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s wanton aggression within the region, and the PRC’s efforts to subjugate its neighbors. Thus, since the catalyst for this friendship is primarily geopolitical, the strongest bonds between the United States and India are within the defense sectors. This remains true despite the fact that President Biden has made steady progress towards building economic and cultural ties, through initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
One important manifestation of the strengthening ties between India and the United States is the progress being made towards the production of the United States-designed Stryker fighting vehicles, in factories based on Indian soil, with Indian labor.
Strictly speaking, the Stryker is best suited for the roles which used to be filled by legacy armored personnel carriers (APC), although its official designation is that of an infantry carrier vehicle (ICV). This official nomenclature should be juxtaposed with that of the United States’ “tank-busting” powerhouse, the M2/M3 Bradley, which is properly identified as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). This difference in terminology is significant because it emphasizes the fact that the Stryker was never intended for front-line combat.
Rather, the Stryker is lightly-armored, offering sufficient protection against small arms fire, but without sufficient survivability for heavy combat engagement. The Stryker’s light armor and its use of an 8×8 drive-train allows the Stryker to move at a maximum speed of approximately 60 miles-per-hour. It can carry nine infantry-men, approximately 310 miles (500km), without refueling. This enables the Stryker to quickly deliver infantry troops to a combat zone; thus, while the Stryler is equipped with the requisite firepower to decimate enemy infantry and to engage some anti-tank defenses, its singular role is as a support for dismounted infantry troops. Importantly, due to its size and weight, the Stryker can easily be carried by the United States’ C-130 light to mid-size cargo plane, which cannot carry other, larger, armored vehicles.
The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, which is the more well known of the two platforms, in juxtaposition, is much more heavily armored, larger, and heavier. It can carry six soldiers, it travels at a maximum speed of 40 miles-per-hour, with a 300 mile range. The Bradley’s large size reduces its maneuverability and restricts its ability to be transported to the battle-space with cargo planes. The Bradley also relies upon tracks rather than tires, to improve the vehicle’s performance on off-road terrain, which drastically increases its relevance in combat. The Bradley’s greatest claim to fame is its ability to provide “tank-busting” power, without the logistical limitations of owning and operating a tank. As such, the Bradley is not intended to serve as a support platform for infantrymen, rather, it is intended to engage in direct and heavy combat as an independent weapon system. In the case of the Bradley, the troop-transporting capacity of the vehicle is entirely secondary to its attack capability.
So, what is it about the Stryker that makes it such a valuable addition to India’s military.