Agile, fast, ultra-modern: This is the US Stryker tank. Ukraine demonstrates life-saving features in the Ukrainian war in a video.
Kiev – Tanks, air defense systems, ammunition, missiles: Ukraine is receiving immense supplies of weapons from the USA and Europe for its defensive campaign against Russia. But what effect do the weapons at the front have? What advantages do they provide Ukraine in the face of the actually overpowering Russian army?
A video that the press service of the Ukrainian army recently published provides an insight. Specifically, this is about the US Stryker infantry fighting vehicle - it is highly praised by the Ukrainians.
Ukrainian army video demonstrates advantages of US Stryker tanks in war
The USA delivered around 90 Stryker tanks to Ukraine around a year ago. Just a few weeks ago, the Ukrainian army released a video showing soldiers familiarizing themselves with the tank type at a training area. “It's like a video game, here is a monitor, a joystick,” demonstrates one of the soldiers, called Serhii, according to a translation by the specialist portal
Defense Express
.
The Strykers would have several key advantages compared to Soviet-era tanks: their sighting system can zoom, focus and automatically adjust to lighting conditions. The weapon turret can rotate at different speeds and can be controlled from the tank cabin using a joystick. The on-board computer can remember positions of targets. “Once you get the hang of it, you can get to the target much faster,” the Ukrainian soldier explains in the video, according to
Defense Express
.
Maneuverable and mobile: For Ukraine, Stryker tanks are worth their weight in gold against war with Russia
According to the report, other characteristics of the US Stryker tanks are also important for survival: they are particularly maneuverable, light and fast. The Stryker can travel at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. For comparison: the German Marder only manages 65 km/h, the US Bradley tank reaches 61 km/h.
What's also obviously worth its weight in gold is the fact that the Stryker can reverse up to 20 km/h. Compared to Russian and Soviet equipment, this is often the decisive advantage for Ukraine, they say: “Sometimes you have to turn around on the battlefield,” which takes time, explains the Ukrainian in the video. Escaping in reverse gear only saves a few minutes, but it could save lives. This is often the only way the tank crew can get to the nearest hiding place quickly enough.
Stryker: Not a classic main battle tank for Ukraine, but with similar equipment
However, the Stryker fighting vehicles are not a classic battle tank. According to a report by
Business Insider,
they are primarily used to quickly and safely transport soldiers, for reconnaissance and to provide fire support during attacks.
The USA has been developing the combat vehicle since the late 1990s, and the Stryker has been in use since 2002, for example in the Iraq War. In the heaviest version, the eight-wheeled tank weighs around 21 tons, making it much lighter than a German Leopard 2 tank or a US Abrams tank.
The Stryker combat vehicles are equipped with a 105-millimeter cannon for NATO ammunition. According to
Business Insider,
this means
equipment that is as good as that of a main battle tank and even a higher impact than the German Marder or Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.
Stryker tank: Unsuitable for heavy fighting on the Ukrainian front
However, the Stryker was not designed for heavy combat against the Russian army in the Ukraine War. The Ukrainian soldier Serhii from the Ukrainian brigade video also admits that he is not much use as a stationary weapon. Therefore, Ukraine mostly uses it as a means of transport and evacuation of the wounded.
Repairing US combat vehicles also apparently caused major problems for Ukraine at first. After a year of service at the front, he is very familiar with the Ukrainian technicians - they can now apparently even produce spare parts themselves.
However, Ukraine has to repeatedly accept severe blows from the Russian military when it comes to producing its own weapons and spare parts: Apparently an Iskander missile has now destroyed a Ukrainian drone factory. Russia, on the other hand, is currently struggling with sanctions against its defense industry, which has now led to the crash of a modern Kodiak rocket. And Putin is now apparently even having tanks protected with a bizarre design that is reminiscent of turtle shells.
(smu)