What Are U.S. Stryker Armored Vehicles? Transport That May Go To Ukraine

President Joe Biden is contemplating sending Stryker Armored Vehicles to Ukraine ahead of a potential renewed push by Russian forces in the coming months, according to reports.

The family of armored combat vehicles may feature as part of another military aid package from Washington to Kyiv, Politico reported, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

The latest round of military aid could be unveiled as early as next week, but a Pentagon spokesperson told the publication they "have no announcements to make at this time."

One anonymous Defense Department official said the Ukrainian resistance forces "need armored personnel carriers," commenting that although Stryker Armored Vehicles are "not as good as a Bradley for a tank fight," they can offer protection to infantry soldiers and "get up close" in a conflict.

What Are Stryker Armored Vehicles?

Strykers are eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems for the U.S. Army. There are 18 variants of the Stryker Armored Vehicle, all built on a common chassis, according to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center.

All iterations of the Stryker Armored Vehicle "provide the warfighter with a reliable, combat-tested platform that includes significant survivability and capability enhancements since the original fielding in 2002," the Center detailed.

Many of the Strykers come fitted with a weapons system that soldiers can operate from inside the armored vehicle, including a .50-caliber machine gun or a MK19 grenade launcher.

The vehicles, able to carry nine soldiers, have a top speed of around 60 mph, with a range of 330 miles.

On January 4, France announced it would send a shipment of AMX-10 RC light armored combat vehicles to Ukraine.

One Élysée Palace official said it would be the "first time that Western-made armored vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on Twitter, expressed his gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron "for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion [armored personnel carriers] to Ukraine, as well as for intensifying work with partners in the same direction."

President Biden, during a visit to Kentucky in the wake of the news, said his administration was considering sending Bradley fighting vehicles to Kyiv's aid.

The Pentagon then confirmed that a new weapons package would include around 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which can be used to transport infantry in war zones.

Retired Col. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who has commanded U.K. and NATO chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (CBRN) forces, previously told Newsweek sending armored vehicles like Bradleys "would certainly help" the Ukrainians, notably in Crimea.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that "these deliveries cannot and will not be able to change anything in Ukraine."

"These deliveries can add pain to the Ukrainian people and prolong its sufferings but principally they will be unable to solve anything and disrupt the process of achieving the goals of the special military operation," he added.