Argentina signs agreement with US for Stryker armored vehicles to modernize its mechanized infantry.

On July 2, 2025, Argentine Minister of Defense Luis Petri and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) at the Pentagon for the acquisition of Stryker 8x8 armored personnel carriers (APCs) for the Argentine Army. According to official statements, the Stryker acquisition is intended to contribute to the recovery of Argentina’s strategic military capacities. The agreement follows a series of recent initiatives, including the acquisition of F-16 multirole fighter jets, and aims to further develop Argentina’s relationship with the United States in the field of defense cooperation.
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No specific number of vehicles has been confirmed in the agreement, but the U.S. previously offered a package of 27 Stryker APCs to Argentina. (Picture source: US DoD)

Petri stated that the acquisition is consistent with directives from President Javier Milei to reestablish investment in national defense. He added that this agreement forms part of a broader framework to modernize the Argentine Armed Forces and strengthen strategic relations with the United States. According to official remarks, the procurement also seeks to ensure sovereignty and internal peace and to enable Argentina to contribute to international peacekeeping operations. Hegseth emphasized that the bilateral relationship extends back over 200 years and pointed to a shared interest in responding to regional threats. He said that both countries must confront shared security challenges and named China as a regional risk. Petri also referred to the political support of U.S. President Donald Trump, describing the agreement as part of a deepening strategic cooperation. No specific number of vehicles has been confirmed in the agreement, but the U.S. previously offered a package of 27 Stryker APCs to Argentina.

The Stryker is an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C). The platform entered U.S. Army service in 2002 and was originally selected as part of the Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) program launched under the Objective Force transformation plan announced in 1999. Designed to fill the gap between heavily armed tracked vehicles and light unarmored wheeled vehicles, the Stryker was intended to enable rapid deployment and meet operational needs not addressed by existing platforms. The vehicle has been produced in more than 4,900 units for the U.S. Army, with ten main variants conceived initially and several more developed over time. General Dynamics and General Motors received an $8 billion contract in 2000 to deliver 2,131 Strykers to equip six Brigade Combat Teams. Variants include the M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV), M1134 Anti-Tank Guided Missile Vehicle (ATGM), M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV), M1128 Mobile Gun System (MGS), and the M1296 Dragoon with a 30 mm cannon.

The base ICV variant weighs 16.47 tonnes, measures 6.95 meters in length, and is equipped with a Caterpillar C7 diesel engine generating 350 hp, with later A1 variants using a 450 hp C9 engine. Its wheeled suspension allows for both 8×4 and 8×8 configurations and provides a top speed of 97 km/h and a range of 500 kilometers. Protection is provided by high-hardness steel combined with bolt-on ceramic armor, offering resistance to 14.5 mm projectiles and artillery fragments. Additional packages have been developed, including slat armor, Stryker reactive armor tiles (SRAT), hull protection kits, and a ballistic shield for the commander’s hatch. Many variants have been upgraded with double V-hulls (DVH) to increase resistance to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mines. Further enhancements include blast-absorbing seating, upgraded electrical systems, and suspension capable of supporting a gross vehicle weight of up to 63,000 pounds (28.5 tonnes).

Stryker armament configurations vary. Most ICVs are fitted with the Protector M151 Remote Weapon Station (RWS), armed with either a 12.7 mm M2 heavy machine gun, a 7.62 mm M240 machine gun, or a 40 mm Mk 19 grenade launcher. Certain variants, such as the M1134, carry TOW anti-tank missiles, while others, like the M1296 Dragoon, feature the XM813 30 mm chain gun in a Kongsberg unmanned turret. The ICVVA1-30mm, replacing the Dragoon, features a Rafael Samson Pro turret and hunter-killer optics. The Stryker M-SHORAD version carries Stinger missiles, Hellfires, and a 30 mm cannon, while the DE M-SHORAD is armed with a 50 kW laser for counter-UAS and counter-artillery missions. Ammunition includes the XM1182 High Explosive Airburst with Tracer (HEAB-T) and XM1170 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer (APFSDS-T). A variety of thermal sighting and driver assistance systems are included, such as the AN/VAS-5 DVE and DVE-Wide. Integration with the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) is in development to provide full situational awareness under armor.

Argentina’s current fleet of armored personnel carriers includes 388 M113s, 28 M548s, 20 M577 command variants, 40 German UR-416s, 4 Chinese WZ-551B1s, and approximately 60 Mowag Grenadiers. The Stryker acquisition represents a technological and operational improvement in areas such as crew survivability, C4ISR integration, onboard firepower, and mobility over difficult terrain. According to previous U.S. offers, the proposed package included not only the Strykers but also M2A1 machine guns, M6 smoke launchers, Harris radios, CROWS remote weapon stations, GPS systems, driver vision enhancers, and other components. These additions would provide the Argentine Army with improved interoperability with U.S. and NATO systems. No official delivery schedule has been confirmed. However, the purchase is expected to be aligned with broader modernization objectives and could lead to additional acquisitions or platform variants depending on operational requirements and financial resources.

Several other countries have acquired or plan to acquire Strykers. The U.S. Army operates over 4,400 vehicles and continues to upgrade them into the DVH-A1 configuration. Ukraine received over 400 Strykers since March 2023, including 20 engineer vehicles, and has reported combat losses amounting to 63 destroyed and 9 damaged M1126s, among others. Thailand operates 130 vehicles, North Macedonia ordered 54 but reduced the order to 42, and Bulgaria approved the procurement of 183 vehicles in November 2023. India had initiated discussions for the joint production of 530 Strykers and evaluated the platform in high-altitude terrain, although those discussions were paused in October 2024. In January 2025, the U.S. approved proposals for manufacturing Strykers in India. Chile is evaluating the Stryker to replace its Mowag Piranha I fleet. Canada, Israel, and Lithuania had previously rejected the platform in favor of alternative systems such as the Leopard 2, Namer, and Boxer, respectively.