These structures are designed to enhance armored vehicles’ resistance to kamikaze drone attacks
The Metinvest Group, as part of its military initiative “Steel Front,” has launched serial production of protective screens for Stryker armored personnel carriers currently in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The structures are aimed at increasing the survivability of armored vehicles against kamikaze drone attacks — one of the main threats on the modern battlefield, according to a press release by Metinvest.Media. This was reported by GMK Center and published by the PromPolitInform portal.
The new protective screens are the result of close cooperation between Metinvest’s metallurgists and Ukrainian military personnel and engineers. They were developed taking into account the specifics of modern warfare and the threats Ukrainian soldiers face on the front line.
“The Stryker armored personnel carrier is a high-tech vehicle, but even the best equipment requires additional protection under modern combat conditions. We have developed a solution that improves the crew’s chances of survival during FPV drone attacks and have already launched serial production of these systems,” said Metinvest Group Chief Operating Officer Oleksandr Myronenko.
Stryker armored personnel carriers — American-made vehicles provided to Ukraine as part of military aid — are known for their high mobility and advanced electronic control systems. However, their vulnerability to drone attacks prompted the development of additional protection to reduce battlefield risks.
Metinvest already has experience producing similar protective systems for other types of equipment, including Abrams and Leopard tanks, as well as M113 and Bradley armored personnel carriers. Analysts note that the protective grids created for these vehicles have demonstrated high effectiveness in real combat conditions, which likely led to the decision to adapt this approach for the Stryker.
The first modernized Stryker vehicles equipped with the new protective screens are expected to undergo combat testing in the near future, further strengthening the protection of Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, Metinvest began producing special protective screens for armored personnel carriers. These structures significantly reduce the threat posed by enemy kamikaze drones attacking vehicles from the upper hemisphere. So far, 14 such screens have been produced, compatible with M113, FV432, and YPR-765 combat vehicles.
Over three years of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest Group has allocated UAH 8.4 billion to support Ukraine. A significant portion of these funds — UAH 4.4 billion — was directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the “Steel Front” initiative.
