美国开始为保加利亚生产Stryker战车，替代苏联装甲车辆

快速阅读: 2023年，保加利亚计划采购183辆斯特瑞克系列战车，包括90辆M1296步兵运输车、17辆M1126步兵运输车等，首批车辆预计2025年9月底抵达。此举旨在提升保加利亚军队现代化水平，增强北约东翼防御能力。

In 2023,

Bulgaria has shown keen interest in procuring a total of one hundred eighty-three (183) vehicles from the Stryker Family. This proposed acquisition includes ninety M1296 Infantry Carrier Vehicles – Dragoon (ICVD), seventeen M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICV), nine M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicles (ESV), thirty-three M1130 Command Vehicles (CV), twenty-four M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicles (MEV), ten M1135 Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles (NBCRV), among others.

The first vehicles are expected to arrive in Bulgaria by the end of September 2025, with final assembly, configuration, and system integration to be conducted at the “TEREM-Ivaylo” defense-industrial plant in Veliko Tarnovo. This facility, part of Bulgaria’s state-owned military-industrial complex, is undergoing major upgrades to serve as a regional hub for armored vehicle maintenance and eventual localized component production. The contract includes stipulations for technology transfer, industrial cooperation, and future domestic production of 30mm medium-caliber ammunition compatible with NATO standards. These measures aim to enhance Bulgaria’s strategic autonomy, reinforce defense-industrial capabilities, and align its armed forces more closely with the interoperability frameworks of NATO.

Technically, the

Stryker

is a highly mobile, modular, and network-enabled armored combat platform developed by General Dynamics Land Systems. Built on a 19-ton 8×8 chassis, it is powered by a Caterpillar C7 turbo-diesel engine delivering 350 hp, coupled with an Allison 3200 SP automatic transmission and all-wheel drive capability, allowing the vehicle to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h with a range of 530 km. The Bulgarian variants are expected to include the Stryker Dragoon configuration, armed with a Kongsberg MCT-30 unmanned turret featuring a 30mm XM813 Bushmaster Chain Gun, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, and integrated electro-optical fire control systems. Certain variants may also be fitted with Javelin ATGM launchers for anti-armor operations. Crew protection is ensured through a double-V hull design for blast mitigation, modular ceramic composite armor packages offering STANAG 4569 Level 4 protection, and active threat detection systems. The platform supports C4ISR integration, Blue Force Tracking, and secure data sharing across combined arms units, providing real-time battlefield awareness and target acquisition.

The transition to the

Stryker

represents a transformative leap in capability for the Bulgarian Army, which currently operates legacy armored vehicles such as the BTR-60PB, BRDM-2, and MT-LB platforms. These Cold War-era systems offer minimal protection against modern threats, lack digital integration, and are unable to meet the operational requirements of current NATO doctrines. In contrast, the Stryker family introduces significant advancements in protection, firepower, battlefield mobility, and situational awareness. It also supports combined arms operations through the integration of reconnaissance, command-and-control, anti-tank, and fire support variants on a single logistics-compatible platform. This standardization will streamline maintenance, logistics, and training across Bulgaria’s mechanized infantry brigades. Additionally, the Stryker’s air transportability by C-130 and its proven performance in combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan underscore its strategic flexibility and operational readiness.

This major acquisition is taking place within the broader geopolitical context of European military revitalization in response to sustained Russian aggression and security instability on NATO’s eastern flank. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO allies have significantly increased defense spending, prioritized the modernization of land forces, and deepened multinational defense cooperation. Bulgaria, situated on the southeastern edge of the Alliance, shares proximity to several high-risk zones, including the Black Sea theater and the Western Balkans. The arrival of the Stryker will not only modernize Bulgaria’s combat vehicle fleet but also enhance its role in NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) initiatives and its contributions to multinational battlegroups. This move reflects Sofia’s strategic realignment toward interoperability, rapid deployment capability, and resilience against hybrid and conventional threats emanating from the east.

The

Stryker

program is expected to become a flagship component of Bulgaria’s long-term military modernization plan, which also includes artillery, rotary-wing aviation, and air defense upgrades. With delivery, training, and operational integration scheduled through 2028, the Stryker fleet will form the backbone of Bulgaria’s future mechanized brigades, capable of operating seamlessly alongside US and NATO forces in collective defense scenarios.

(以上内容均由Ai生成)