The Biggest Strengths And Weaknesses Of America’s M1126 Stryker

While the Stryker is a proven vehicle with numerous successes in multiple theaters of war, it does have some weaknesses. There’s a tradeoff when an armored vehicle isn’t outfitted with the thickest possible armor. This enables maneuverability while trading survivability, which is why you should never take a Stryker to a tank fight — they are outclassed in firepower and armor, so they are susceptible to all forms of tank weapons.

Another problem with the Stryker is common for armored vehicles — it’s a rollover risk. When an armored vehicle rolls over, there are numerous hazards to the people inside. They become indefensible targets, but more than that, they can take a beating through the rollover and have difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. Strykers have a high center of gravity and ground clearance, so rollovers can happen in and out of combat, depending on driving conditions.

Many Strykers rolled over in Iraq and Afghanistan as drivers attempted to avoid IEDs. Since IEDs can look like just about anything, drivers would swerve the vehicle to avoid trash on the side of the road, whether it was dangerous or not. Since IEDs were the deadliest hazard in Iraq, this was a common problem. Fortunately, adequate training and preparedness reduce the risk. While the Stryker has some issues, its versatility in and out of combat makes it an effective vehicle that will remain operational in the inventory for the foreseeable future.