| M1128 Mobile Gun System | |
|---|---|
Mobile Gun System, firing its 105 mm gun |
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| Type | Heavy armored car/Wheeled Tank Destroyer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 15+ t |
| Length | 6.95 m (22.92 ft) |
| Width | 2.72 m (8.97 ft) |
| Height | 2.64 m (8.72 ft) |
| Crew | 3 |
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| Armor | 14.5 mm resistant[1] |
| Main armament |
M68A2 105 mm cannon |
| Secondary armament |
M2 0.50 calibre machine gun; M240C coaxial machine gun; 2, M6 smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | Caterpillar 3126 turbo diesel 260 kW (350 hp) |
| Suspension | 8×8 wheeled |
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[2] and was also being considered for adoption by several other countries, including Canada.
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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.[3]
The large turret and smaller hatch can make emergency exiting more difficult.[3]
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.
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.[3]
Nine Mobile Gun Systems are allocated to a battalion.[3]
Following the end of the Cold War 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.[4]
The MGS will undergo full-rate production in late FY 2011.[5]
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