technology, war technology, gun technology, USA Guns

The 120-mm cannon of an M1 tank would be a useful weapon for the U.S. Army to have on just about any combat mission. Unfortunately, at a weight of around 60 tons, it takes a great deal of planning and coordination to get an M1 where it needs to go in the world. An M1 is too large to fit on the Air Force's C-130 transport planes. What's more, a vehicle with more firepower and armor usually requires a more complicated support system. This means more specially trained soldiers to operate it, more technicians to maintain it, more parts, and more and larger shells. Thus, the most powerful equipment is often the hardest to move quickly to the battle zone. There are places the mighty M1 can't reach in time to be effective.

 

Photo courtesy U.S. Army Stryker vehicles position themselves in the town of Samarra, a town northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, December 2003.

The Army's new Stryker project is an attempt to find a workable balance between power and mobility. It's a vehicle system that's built to be as deadly as a tank, as swift as a Humvee and yet mobile enough to be deployed anywhere in the world within 96 hours. In this article, HowStuffWorks explores the thinking behind the Stryker vehicle platform, how it's designed to function in combat and how it fits into the U.S. Army's plans for the future.