What is Stryker, the American infantry combat vehicle that India may co-produce
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, in a joint statement following discussions at the White House in Washington, announced plans “to pursue this year new procurements and co-production arrangements for Javelin anti-tank guided missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles (ICV) in India to rapidly meet India’s defence requirements.”
The US first offered to sell the Stryker to India in 2000, and has also fielded the ICV in several joint training exercises between the armies of the two countries. The move for procurement and joint production in India gathered speed over the past three years.
In October 2024, the discussions on procurement were stalled following the diplomatic row between Canada and India as Canada, too, is associated with the production of the ICV. On January 10, 2025, the proposals to establish manufacturing facilities for the Stryker in India were approved by the US government.
India plans to procure 530 Strykers to equip 10 mechanised infantry battalions. Reports say that while a few units would be imported directly, the remaining would be manufactured in India with some indigenous content. If the move comes through, India would be the first country outside the US to manufacture the Stryker.
The Strykers are primarily intended to be deployed in high altitude areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and the north-east, where a protracted stand-off with China has been continuing since early 2020.
Following heavy Chinese military build-up and series of incursions along the LAC, India mobilised an unprecedented number of troops, along with armoured vehicles and artillery, to counter the threat.
Troops from both sides maintained eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation for almost four years before de-escalating late last year. While troops pulled back a bit, there has been no de-induction from these sectors on either side. About 50,000 Indian troops are reported to be deployed in Ladakh at present, a vastly increased number from pre-2020 times.
The stand-off also led to restructuring of the army deployment along the LAC, with additional formations and equipment being earmarked for this theatre. Additional mechanised brigades are also being raised for deployment along the LAC and the Army has established the world’s highest tank repair facilities close to the frontiers in Ladakh last year.
The Army has stationed about 500 armoured vehicles in Ladakh which include the T-90 and T-72 tanks and BMP-II ICVs. The Army is also looking to replace the 2,500 BMPs in its inventory, which have been in service since the 1980s, and has projected a requirement for a substantial number of tracked as well as wheeled ICVs.
In September-October 2024, India evaluated the Stryker at altitudes up to 18,000 feet in Ladakh. Another round of trials is expected this year and the ICVs are expected to incorporate some modifications and retro fitments to meet specific Indian operational requirements such as extreme altitude, inclement climate and rugged terrain.
The Stryker ICV entered US service in 2002 and has been used in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine having its share of accolades for effectiveness as a combat vehicle as well as criticism for some vulnerabilities in the field.
It is an eight-wheeled armoured personnel carrier, which can carry a squad of nine combat-equipped troops besides its crew of two and is lightly armed with an over-the-hull mounted machinegun or grenade launcher. Its 350 hp engine gives it a top speed of 100 kmph and an operational range of 500 kms.
Weighing about 16 tonnes, these are too heavy to be airlifted by the Indian Air Force’s US-made Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, which have a payload capacity of 12 tonnes, for rapid redeployment in forward areas, but the Soviet-origin Mi-26 – the world’s largest helicopter that can ferry 20 tonnes – would be able to accomplish this task.
The IAF has three Mi-26s which have been on ground for the past few years due to maintenance issues. These are presently undergoing overhaul and life extension with Russian help at No.3 Base Repair Depot in Chandigarh, and are expected to become operational this year.
The move to procure the Stryker comes even as several indigenous projects to develop ICVs are underway by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as well as the private industry.
An 8-wheeled amphibious armoured platform, christened Kestrel, has been developed by DRDO and is being manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems. It has several variants for different missions and battlefield roles. The Army has so far procured 25 of these vehicles, which have been deployed in Ladakh, and has plans to induct another hundred.
In addition, several four-wheeled armoured vehicles have also been developed by the Indian industry for meeting different combat, recce and troop transport requirements of the Armed Forces as well as the Central Armed Police Forces.
