Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) play a vital role in modern warfare, providing protection for troops as they move through hostile territory. As a means of coping up with advanced warfare in a more versatile way, there have been two serious contenders for it in the market. Also from a side mission objective where India needs to replace the old existing Soviet era BMP-1s and BMP-2s, these machines have been regarded as pretty good job accomplishers. One is the Kestrel, also known as the WHAP (Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier), indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), while the other one is the Stryker APC-IFV made by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C), a subsidiary of the bigger General Dynamics Corp.
Currently posing as the standout model for an indigenous class of armoured fighting-personnel carrier, the Kestrel had been the forerunner of India’s modernized APC fleet. First portrayed at the Defexpo 2014, it entered the blueprint phase since then after garnering a considerable amount of attention after which in October 2019, it was cleared by Indian Ministry of Defence to be issued for production for Indian Army. Our army planned to acquire 200 Tata Kestrels and till date, an undisclosed good number of units have been inducted by the Army.
Yet as always India loves to come to the battlefield with equipment of global experience. And in the class where the Kestrel is the newer junior, the General Dynamics Stryker has been nominated as the perfect senior matchup for it; as India and USA has already shaken hands in this partnership. On November 10, 2023, India and the United States of America agreed with the deal to move forward with the joint production of Stryker armoured vehicles in a bid to strengthen Indian Army amid border tensions and terrorism between India and China-Pak. Controlling China in border disputes has been among the primary objectives where the Stryker would be deployed for rapid and protected transit of soldiers with the capability to fight on the move.
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So how does these two systems line up?
Speed and Mobility – Both the Kestrel and the Stryker are 8 wheeled armoured carriers and are similar in speed and agility. Kestrel can clock up to a maximum speed of 100 km/h while the Stryker locks at 97 km/h. But speaking strictly with respect to their deployable zones i.e. the high altitude borders and abrupt landscapes, it is more of a call for the tight turn manoeuvrability and suspension design rather than a straight mile top speed test. So in this case, Kestrel has already won over our soldiers’ hearts and we have to curate the home-developed Strykers as per Indian border requirements.
Range – Kestrel and Stryker are once again similar in this parameter as both feature a maximum operational range of 500 km. However, our Tata one is unable to sustain it for long as it has its range limited to 250-300km in heavy off-road operations.
Engine Specs – Stryker comes with a 350 horsepower (260 kW), 15.8 kW/tonne Caterpillar C7 engine and Allison 3200SP automatic transmission. Kestrel comes with a much better package with Cummins ISXe 600 horsepower engine producing 2508Nm torque and a Allison 4500SP automatic transmission.
Suspension – Stryker portrays a typical off-road independent suspension system with hydraulic dampers and adjustable rid height. The Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) has tested an active magneto rheological suspension, developed by MillenWorks for the Stryker, at the Yuma Proving Ground, which resulted in greater vehicle stability but it still hasn’t become an operational feature. Kestrel also features an independent suspension system but has hydropneumatic struts instead of typical coil springs and dampers which gives it a proven record of better ride quality, exceptionally smooth off-road performance despite India having much rougher borders than US counterparts, superior stability and relatively low maintenance due to the robust nature of the hydropneumatic units. So unless India’s would be Strykers are curated to the desired standards, Kestrel would be any day giving better ride performance against a currently operational Stryker.
Price – TASL Kestrel features a price tag of 23 crore INR while the Stryker is at a whopping 45-47 crore INR.
Value for Money?
Deducing from the previously given stats, our indigenous WHAP stands equal if not better to the Stryker in terms of engine, performance, operational stats and vehicle suspension, then why would India spend double the money for a single unit to grab this set of American wheels? The answer lies in the armour and armament division – which acts as a gamechanger to counter our neighbourhood firings.
Kestrel/WHAP’s Armour Protection – The Tata Kestrel armoured personnel carrier (APC) is protected by a combination of applique armour and a composite hull. Applique armour consists of additional armour panels that are bolted onto the vehicle’s exterior. These panels are typically made of welded steel or ceramic, and they can provide protection against small arms fire and shrapnel. The Tata Kestrel’s applique armour is concentrated on the front and sides of the vehicle, where it is most likely to be hit by enemy fire. Composite hull is a type of armour that is made of multiple layers of different materials, such as steel, ceramic, and Kevlar. This type of armour is designed to defeat a wide range of threats, including armour-piercing rounds. The Tata Kestrel’s composite hull protects the entire vehicle, including the top and bottom. It has anti-blast seats installed to absorb blast shocks and secondary slams. The vehicle has been also custom-made to provide protection against landmines and underneath blasts. The whole vehicle has a certified protection of upto Level 4 STANAG 4569 and a Level 3 protection in the hull.
Stryker’s Armour Protection – This vehicle’s overall body and hull comes with high hardness steel bolt-on ceramic protection and it provides all-round protection even from 14.5mm armour piercing rounds and fragments from 155mm artillery rounds. Some Strykers depending on the mission portfolio also use the additional slat armour and reactive and armour. With metal bars placed within periodic gaps of inches, slat armour protects it from conventional RPG firings. Reactive armour creates an early shockwave when a projectile is about to hit it, thereby minimizing the damage absorbed. The Strykers deployed by US during the wars in Middle East had the same armour tiles used by the Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Since 2016, research and development is also going on with GD and Sweden’s Saab group to devise a camouflage-integrated armour system to better blend in the environment and induce characteristics that would help maintaining its signature management against long-wave, mid0wave thermal sensors and infrared radars.
Armaments
TATA Kestrel – The Tata Kestrel’s primary armament is a 30mm cannon, which can be fitted with a variety of turrets, including:
Kongsberg Protector MCT-30R(RWS): This turret is equipped with a 30mm autocannon with an effective range of 3,000 meters. It also has a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The RCWS can be upgraded to add a 12.7mm machine gun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. It also has the option to add up to two anti-tank guided missile launchers.
BMP-2 turret: This turret is equipped with a 30mm 2A42 main gun, a Kalashnikov PKT 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and a roof-mounted launcher for the AT-4 Spigot anti-tank missile system.
While the above mentioned ones are the mainstay weapons, they have also the availability of being fixed with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun or a 12.7mm heavy machine gun as a secondary gun along with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. There are even two spots for two anti-tank guided missiles.
Stryker – Here comes the final value for money edition of this deal. The Stryker AFV comes in 18 armed variants each made for different missions yet exceptional proven adaptability in all situations. The Stryker Family of Vehicles is built on a common chassis, with some variants having different Mission Equipment Packages. There are 18 variants; 10 flat-bottom variants that include the M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), Mobile Gun System (MGS), M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicle (RV), M1129 Mortar Carrier (MC), M1130 Commander’s Vehicle (CV), M1131 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV), M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicle (ESV), M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV), M1134 Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Vehicle and Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV); seven Double-V-Hull (DVH) variants for the following; ICV, CV, MEV, MC, ATGM, FSV and ESV, and an additional configuration of a modified ICV platform integrating a 30 mm cannon.
The ICV variant comes with the same Kongsberg Protech Systems 30mm main gun but it comes with more additional packages. Along with the Protector M151, there is the M2 Browning Machine Gun, the 7.62mm M240B fixed machine gun and a 40mm MK19 grenade launcher. Furthermore, Raytheon has taken up the development of the variants for the attachments of the FIM-92 surface-to-air Stinger missiles and the anti-tank FGM-148 Javelin missiles. 2018 saw the fielding of such Strykers in Afghanistan where the Protector RWS and the being-tested Javelins working in unison in those variants. Some variants are fitted with the Mk44 Bushmaster II cannons, the same weapons which is used by the AC-130J ‘Ghostrider’ Gunship firing the 30×173 armour piercing high-explosive incendiary rounds. All of these have a maximum range of 3000m.
Stryker’s Operational History
Till 2011, the Stryker saw extensive usage in the Iraq War with numerous deployments. It performed very well in the 2004 Battle of Mosul. This vehicle was awarded ‘Valorous Unit Award’ multiple times on the occasions where it was deployed in mobility of the respective units or platoons. Initially only the base variant of the Carrier Chassis was being used without any heavier guns. After the proven performance in Middle East, bigger guns and cannons were being battlefield tested starting from 2007. Rounding off, this vehicle has played a pivotal role across the Middle East wars, Afghanistan, USA’s own exercises and multilateral combat events.Afghanistan, however did saw some bloodied path as a total of 37 people were killed in the units in some 2009 Stryker-deployed units. The vehicle also engaged in the covert operations of the war on the terror in Syria, Iraq etc. US forces including Green Berets, SEALs and SOCOM have seen operating in Strykers since the 2014 start of Islamic State crackdown.
In the ongoing Russo-Ukraininian War, USA sent 90 Strykers as a military equipment aid package and since the recieved package, they have been used in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kiev, Robotyne etc. and throughout the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive. However according to latest data from verified news reports and state-sponsored Telegram channels, at least 7-9 Strykers have been destroyed by Russia. In a massive bounty attack, Russia claimed to have taken down 4 Strykers in August 2023 along with some other prized weapon systems including a M777 Howitzer, Challenger and Leopard tanks, where defense analysts think it of as being tangled upon the heavy firing of TOS-1A rockets if sources are true. In October 2023, Russia’s Ministry of Defense also released a video showing a Lancet drone chasing and destroying it in the Kherson region.
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Variants’ Advantage?
While the standard M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle is the base model and the primary export version for the countries directly buying it from USA, the other variants and the diverse responsibilities that it can carry makes the Stryker family a moving wall to worry about.
M1127 Recon Variant – Currently used by the units of the joint doctrine of Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) conducted by US Armed Forces where its purpose is to predict attacks moving throughout the battlefield and gathering real time intelligence for situational awareness.
M1128 MGS Variant – This is the heavy hitter Stryker variant which is fixed with an autoloading 105mm M68A1E4 ‘tank’ cannon along with the M2s and M240s. It acts as a direct heavy firing support to the infantry and engages with moving and stationary enemy targets. With a fire rate of six rounds per minute, it can carry 400 50-calibre rounds or 3400 7.62mm rounds.
M1129 Mortar Variant – This Stryker comes with a pair of Soltam 120mm and Cardom 81mm/120mm Mortar System for direct fire support and enemy forces suppression along with the provision for DPICM (Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition) cluster bombs. It can also be fixed with a XM395 Precision Guided Mortar Munition system is a highly accurate GPS-guided mortar firing system capable of firing US 120mm M934 high-explosive rounds, having an effective firing range of 7000m and 5m CEP accuracy.
M1130 Comms Variant – The M1130 Commander’s Vehicle (CV) is built more for precise communications rather than heavy armaments and datalinks aircrafts and other intelligence support vehicles with the on-ground battlefield information. USA deploys them three per brigade and two per infantry units.
M1131 Fire Support – This Stryker is also a surveillance variant but comes with more advanced communication and radar capabilities. With 4 secured combat radio nets, it engages in target acquisition, identification, designation and tracking and can datalink the same with other armed Strykers or attacking units of the respective force.
M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicle – It acts as an obstruction clearance medium where standard or physical mobility is tough. It comes with mine marking and detection devices along with increased body and hull armour to sustain greater explosive damage in unknown restricted areas.
M1133 Medical Evacuator – This variant comes with advanced medical facilities for the infantry units along with personnel carrying. The M1133 Stryker’s medical specs comes with various Geneva Convention registrations and has been widely used in various US and foreign battlefield aid and humanitarian operations.
M1134 ATGM Variant – This is a more advanced armed and armoured variant with the ability to host the BGM-71 TOW Anti-Tank Guided Missile having a maximum firing range of upto 3750m. It acts as an infantry firing and recon reinforcer providing long-range standoff firing capabilities while also featuring much better armour covering to tank on successive damage.
M1135 NBCRB – This Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Variant provides nuclear, biological and chemical weapons/exposure in battlefield situations with the help of its advanced sensor suites and meteorological systems. It can detect chemical and radioactive anomalies in places and can has detection instruments for such instances.
Self-Propelled Howitzer Variant – It is currently an experimental version of a Stryker being fitted with heavy artillery firing system capability. While the M198 Howitzer is currently being used in the experimental version, the final product will likely use the BAE Systems M777 Howitzer. USA’s General Dynamics and South Africa’s Denel Land Systems are heading the responsibility of developing the turret and ammunition respectively to make this mobility carrier hold the required strength and firing a heavy howitzer like M777 without compromising its other capabilities.
Verdict
India’s decision to induct the Tata Kestrel/WHAP and while at the same time co-produce the Stryker AFV marks a significant development in the country’s defense modernization efforts. The Tata Kestrel, an indigenously developed armoured personnel carrier (APC), is expected to boost India’s domestic defense production capabilities. Simultaneously, the co-production of the Stryker AFV with the United States will provide India with access to advanced armoured vehicle technology and enhance its interoperability with the US military. The induction of the Tata Kestrel aligns with India’s “Make in India” initiative, which aims to promote domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports. The Kestrel’s development has involved extensive collaboration between the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Tata Motors, showcasing India’s ability to produce advanced military equipment standing in the same level with other market leaving armoured personnel carriers. While both the Tata Kestrel and the Stryker AFV offer distinct advantages, their simultaneous induction raises questions about potential redundancies and resource allocation so India will need to carefully consider the roles and missions for each vehicle to ensure optimal utilization of its armoured vehicle fleet. From the specifications that both the vehicles, each excels in a distinct region.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited as made a great job catering to the needs of an average Indian infantryman coupled with the landscapes of our border. Right now the Kestrel is a clear winner in the ride performance, general carrier capabilities, off-road and high altitude persistent capabilities and suspension systems. Moreover being tried and tested in our high terrain Indian borders of north and east, Kestrel has earned the better trust of our troops. But the Stryker comes with better firepower. Kestrel’s firepower is undoubtedly good but lacks the edge in front of the Stryker. The better armour protection is a plus. Our indigenous one’s secondary armaments are the primary armaments of the Stryker and coupled with the increased capacity of 7.62 ammunition and the fixed 50-cal M2 Browning, is a significant advantage in pounding the enemy with armour piercing ammo on the move. And although the Kestrel is leading the Stryker over many aspects, the latter one comes with almost two decades of battle-tested experience (except mountainous borders that India has), so each one has to rely on their different abilities and experiences.
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Latest Developments
According to the latest talks between India and USA, the latter has offered to our country the Stryker variant with air defense systems equipped. In this set of talks hosted by India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and their American counterparts, Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken and mentioned by India’s Defense Secretary Giridhar Aramane, it has been a confirmed news as of now of the air-defense equipped Stryker proposal, although there’s no response from our side as of now, and all different other possibilities or variants are still under consideration until further updates.
But this advanced proposal from US’ side with an aggressive pitching of this Stryker system may quite prove as a turning point in this yet-to-be confirmed variant deal. The platform currently in question is the Stryker ICV M-Shorad variant. It is one of the newer models of this armoured infantry carrier and was first introduced in early 2021. According to specifications, it comes with an advanced command and control systems along with the capability of datalinking with other similar or attacking platforms in the battlefield. Based on the same chassis similar to other variants, it comes with the all-platform common RWS 30mm cannon as the main automatic gun. However the added packages are the availability of the infrared homing enabled FIM-92 Stinger Missiles and the Hellfire missile pods – the same missiles which is used by India’s US-made AH-64 Longbow Apache, the deadliest attack helicopter in the world right now. The name M-SHORAD itself means Maneuver Short Range Air Defense, and the name is justified due to its advanced radar capabilities, ability to act as a Command & Control centre, and possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities. It can detect, identify and track air threats with on-board sensors providing 360 degree aerial surveillance. According to the exact platform what the US uses, it has comes wielding in the battlefield with the 30mm RWS/XM914, 7.62mm M240, four Raytheon configured FIM-92 Stingers for hitting aerial targets and two AGM-114 Longbow Hellfires for ground targets and 3-4 numeric in extra crew than the regular number. SHORAD-M is also in the works of getting attached with Directed Energy Weapons. Irrespective of whatever India chooses as the ideal Stryker fit to work alongside the Kestrels in our mountainous borders, once inked, this deal will be all set to pitch a benchmark in India’s armed-armoured infantry mobility.
Great defense xp info