M1126 Stryker ICV near Mosul, Iraq, March 2005

US Army M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) with Slat Armor cage from the 2nd Platoon (PLT), Bravo (B) Company (CO), 1st Battalion (BN), 5th Infantry (INF), 25th Infantry Division (ID) (Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT)), in position while on patrol near Mosul, Iraq, March 2005. The SBCT is assigned to Task Force Freedom supporting Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.

The M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) is an armoured personnel carrier and part of the Stryker family of vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III/Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8. The Infantry Carrier Vehicle provides protected transport and, during dismounted assault, supporting fire for the infantry squad. The Stryker is a full-time four-wheel drive, selectively eight-wheel drive, armoured vehicle weighing approximately 19t which carries an infantry squad with their equipment. On paved roads the vehicle can attain speeds of 62 mph without a governor and 37 mph with a governor.
The basic infantry carrier vehicle (ICV) provides armored protection for the two-man crew and a squad of nine soldiers. The vehicle's commander has an FBCB2 (Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below) digital communications system that allows communication between vehicles through text messaging and a map network, as well as with the battalion. The map shows the position of all vehicles on the battlefield and the commander can mark the position of enemy forces on the map, which can then be seen by other commanders. The M1126 ICV has a Protector remote weapon station with a universal soft mount cradle, which can mount either a .50 caliber M2 Browning machine gun, a 40mm MK19 grenade launcher or a 7.62×51mm NATO M240 machine gun. It is also armed with four M6 smoke grenade launchers.