US plans to send Stryker vehicles to help Ukraine: All you need to know about it

The US is planning to send as many as 100 Stryker armoured vehicles to help Ukraine in its efforts to repulse Russian forces. The Stryker armoured vehicles may be part of a $2.5 billion military aid package and could be a shot in the arm for the Ukrainian forces.

The Stryker armoured vehicle is a key part of US and Canadian military operations and has served in a wide variety of operations - covert as well as overt. Its rugged built and numerous customization options help it assume very specific roles depending on the nature of the operation it is being deployed for. “Stryker vehicles provide the warfighter with a reliable, combat-tested platform that includes significant survivability and capability enhancements since the original fielding in 2002," the US Army states. In all, there are 18 variants of the Stryker armoured vehicle which includes one with a mounted anti-tank guided missile launcher and as a personnel carrier.

Measuring 6.98 meters in length and with a width of 2.71 meters, the Stryker armoured vehicles are manufactured by Ontario-based General Dynamics Land Systems and currently deployed by US and Canadian forces. Interestingly, the eight-wheeled Stryker armoured combat vehicle is the first new military vehicle to enter service into the US Army since the Abrams tank in the 1980s. But while Abrams tanks may be massively intimidating and provide solid firepower, Stryker armoured combat vehicles are agile and more capable during swift missions.

While different variants of Stryker armoured combat vehicle mean varying capabilities, in its infantry carrier variant, it can reach a top speed of 100 kmph and can be quite fuel efficient too - full-tank range of around 500 kms. Four-wheel drive, selective eight-wheel drive and with bolt-on ceramic armour, it can deliver the aggression while providing protection to the occupants. And powering it all is a Caterpillar C7 engine which produces 350 hp.