Poland’s military leadership has endorsed a US proposal to transfer roughly 250 second-hand Stryker armored combat vehicles for a symbolic payment of one dollar. Polish officials say the platforms will be drawn from American formations already stationed in Europe, allowing Warsaw to quickly expand armored capacity without facing long shipping timelines from the United States. The move supports Poland’s rapid modernization push and reinforces US-Polish defense cooperation on NATO’s eastern flank amid ongoing regional tensions and the continued war in Ukraine.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that negotiations are underway, while local reporting indicates the vehicles will undergo inspection and refurbishment before joining Polish mechanized brigades. The transfer helps fill gaps created by Poland’s large-scale deliveries of armored equipment to Ukraine, while also allowing the US Army to reshape its Stryker footprint in Europe. Once approved, the deal would represent one of the most symbolic defense transfers between the two NATO allies in recent years.
The Stryker M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle comes from an 8×8 armored family originally derived from the Canadian LAV III and Swiss Piranha III platforms. Capable of transporting a squad of nine troops plus two crew, the Stryker was selected by the US Army for its deployability—able to move a brigade to an overseas theater in about 96 hours. Its dimensions remain compatible with strategic airlifters including the C-17, C-5, and under certain loading conditions, the C-130, providing high mobility for multinational operations.
Armed with a remote M151 Protector weapon station capable of mounting a 12.7mm machine gun, 7.62mm weapon, or 40mm grenade launcher, the Stryker includes full stabilization and line-of-sight tracking for accurate fire while moving. Newer US variants integrate the CROWS-J turret with a Javelin anti-tank missile, expanding lethality against armored threats beyond direct visual range. Widely exported and combat-proven, the Stryker has been fielded by Colombia, Thailand and most recently Ukraine, which received more than 100 vehicles since 2023.
