Stryker Mobile Gun System
Encyclopedia
The Stryker Mobile Gun System is an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle mounting a 105 mm
tank gun
, based on the Canadian LAV III
light-armored vehicle. It is in service with the United States
and was also being considered for adoption by several other countries, including Canada
.
The MGS turret
is low profile, stabilized, and autoloading
. The turret mounts a 105 mm M68A2 rifled cannon
. The vehicle is primarily outfitted to support infantry combat operations. While it could take on some of the roles of tanks, it is not designed to engage in combat with tanks. The MGS can store 18 rounds of main gun ammunition in the turret. It has a rate of fire of six rounds per minute.
Countermeasures
The large turret and smaller hatch can make emergency exiting more difficult.
Mobility
Because the Mobile Gun System uses the same chassis as other Mowag Piranha
derivatives, it would have the same mobility, and could be rescued or salvaged by a Piranha-derived recovery vehicle.
Crew amenities
Because the vehicle was designed without air conditioning
, crews are given individual cooling vests that circulate cooled water from outside the vehicle to the garment. IV
fluids can also be provided. Vehicle computers still overheat regularly.
some theorists believed that the existing suite of U.S. armored vehicles, designed largely to fight Soviet mechanized forces in Europe, were not well suited to the lower-intensity missions U.S. armed forces would be tasked with. This led to the development of a new armored fighting vehicle designed for lower-intensity combat, rather than large-scale battle.
Canada had liquidated about half of its park of Leopard 1s in the early 2000s, with the intention of replacing them with the airmobile Mobile Gun System. The decision was reversed. In fall of 2006 a squadron of Leopards were sent to Afghanistan, and as of the summer of 2007 Canada is in the process of acquiring 100 surplus Leopard 2
main battle tanks for quick deployment.
The MGS will undergo full-rate production in late FY 2011.
Royal Ordnance L7
The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britain's most successful tank gun. The L7 was a 105 mm L/52 rifled design intended for use in armoured fighting vehicles...
tank gun
Tank gun
A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also be mounted to tanks.-Overview:Tank guns are a specific...
, based on the Canadian LAV III
LAV III
The LAV III armoured vehicle is the latest in the Generation III Light Armoured Vehicle series built by General Dynamics Land Systems, entering service in 1999. It is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8....
light-armored vehicle. It is in service with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was also being considered for adoption by several other countries, including Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Design
FirepowerThe MGS turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
is low profile, stabilized, and autoloading
Autoloader
An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ordnance into crew-served weapons, such as tanks and artillery...
. The turret mounts a 105 mm M68A2 rifled cannon
Royal Ordnance L7
The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britain's most successful tank gun. The L7 was a 105 mm L/52 rifled design intended for use in armoured fighting vehicles...
. The vehicle is primarily outfitted to support infantry combat operations. While it could take on some of the roles of tanks, it is not designed to engage in combat with tanks. The MGS can store 18 rounds of main gun ammunition in the turret. It has a rate of fire of six rounds per minute.
Countermeasures
The large turret and smaller hatch can make emergency exiting more difficult.
Mobility
Because the Mobile Gun System uses the same chassis as other Mowag Piranha
Mowag Piranha
The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....
derivatives, it would have the same mobility, and could be rescued or salvaged by a Piranha-derived recovery vehicle.
Crew amenities
Because the vehicle was designed without air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
, crews are given individual cooling vests that circulate cooled water from outside the vehicle to the garment. IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
fluids can also be provided. Vehicle computers still overheat regularly.
History
Following the end of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
some theorists believed that the existing suite of U.S. armored vehicles, designed largely to fight Soviet mechanized forces in Europe, were not well suited to the lower-intensity missions U.S. armed forces would be tasked with. This led to the development of a new armored fighting vehicle designed for lower-intensity combat, rather than large-scale battle.
Canada had liquidated about half of its park of Leopard 1s in the early 2000s, with the intention of replacing them with the airmobile Mobile Gun System. The decision was reversed. In fall of 2006 a squadron of Leopards were sent to Afghanistan, and as of the summer of 2007 Canada is in the process of acquiring 100 surplus Leopard 2
Leopard 2
The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the early 1970s for the West German Army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the main battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the armed forces of Germany and twelve...
main battle tanks for quick deployment.
The MGS will undergo full-rate production in late FY 2011.
See also
- AMX 10 RCAMX 10 RCThe AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco and Qatar ....
- Pandur 8X8 APCPandur 8X8 APCThe Pandur II 8x8 is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge and is currently in production for the Portuguese Armed Forces...
- AMOSAMOSAMOS or Advanced Mortar System is a 120 mm automatic twin barrelled, breech loaded mortar turret. AMOS has been fitted to a wide range of armoured vehicles such as the Sisu Pasi, Patria AMV, Combat Vehicle 90 or Combat Boat 90....
- Patria AMV
- B1 CentauroB1 CentauroThe Centauro is a wheeled tank destroyer designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco Fiat - Oto Melara...
- LAV IIILAV IIIThe LAV III armoured vehicle is the latest in the Generation III Light Armoured Vehicle series built by General Dynamics Land Systems, entering service in 1999. It is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8....
- LAV 600
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number