Stryker Mobile Gun System

M1128 Mobile Gun System
A M1128 Mobile Gun System during a training exercise in 2015
Type	Assault gun
Place of origin	United States
Specifications
Weight	18.77 tonnes (20.69 short tons; 18.47 long tons)
Length	6.95 m (22.92 ft)
Width	2.72 m (8.97 ft)
Height	>2.64 m (>8.72 ft)
Crew	3
Armor	14.5 mm resistant
Main armament	M68A2 105 mm cannon
Secondary armament	M2 .50 caliber machine gun; M240C coaxial machine gun; 2, M6 smoke grenade launchers
Engine	Caterpillar 3126 turbo diesel 260 kW (350 hp)
Power/weight	14 hp/ton
Transmission	Automatic 6 forward, 1 reverse
Suspension	8×8 wheeled
Ground clearance	15 in (38 cm)
Fuel capacity	56 gallons (212 liters)
Operational range	330 miles (528 km)
Speed	60 mph (96 km/h)

The M1128 Mobile Gun System is an eight-wheeled armored car of the Stryker armored fighting vehicle family, mounting a 105 mm tank gun, based on the Canadian LAV III light-armored vehicle manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems. It is in service with the United States and was also being considered for adoption by several other countries.

The MGS' remote weapon station has a small silhouette, is stabilized and autoloading. The RWS 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 autoloader cassette located in the rear compartment of the vehicle. It has a rate of fire of six rounds per minute.

The MGS' 105 mm cannon can fire four types of ammunition: the M900 kinetic energy penetrator to destroy armored vehicles; the M456A2 high explosive anti-tank round to destroy thin-skinned vehicles and provide anti-personnel fragmentation; the M393A3 high explosive plastic round to destroy bunkers, machine gun and sniper positions, and create openings in walls for infantry to access; and M1040 canister shot for use against dismounted infantry in the open.

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. Vehicle computers still overheat regularly. All MGS Stryker platforms have been recently upgraded with AC units.

The large remote weapon station and relatively smaller hatch can make emergency exits difficult. Because the MGS is fitted with a remote weapon station into the MGS instead of a true turret it is very possible for the crew of a MGS to encounter an auto-loader stoppage in the heat of battle and not be able to repair it without disembarking from the vehicle and standing atop it to access the auto-loader.