As part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative, Metinvest Group has launched full-scale production of protective screens for Stryker armoured personnel carriers, which are currently in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. These protective structures are designed to enhance the vehicles’ resistance to kamikaze drone attacks – now a major threat on the modern battlefield.
The new protective screens are the result of close collaboration between Metinvest’s metallurgists, Ukrainian military personnel, and engineers.
“Stryker is a high-tech armoured vehicle, but in today’s warfare, even the best equipment needs additional protection. We’ve developed a solution that improves crew survivability during FPV drone attacks, and we’ve already begun full-scale production of these systems,”
said Oleksandr Myronenko, Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group.
The American-made Stryker APCs, provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of U.S. military aid, are known for their high mobility and advanced electronic control systems. However, their vulnerability to drone attacks prompted Ukrainian engineers to quickly develop and install additional armour.
Steel Front already has experience developing similar protection systems for Abrams and Leopard tanks, as well as M113 and Bradley armoured vehicles. Analysts have noted that these protective grids have proven highly effective in combat, which likely influenced the decision to extend the solution to the Stryker fleet.
The first upgraded Strykers equipped with protective grids are expected to be tested in combat conditions in the near future.
