https://www.quora.com/Wha(...)try-Fighting-VehicleWhat is the functional difference between the Bradley and the Stryker Infantry Fighting Vehicle?The Bradley M2 series is a Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It was built to compete with Soviets BMD and BMP series, as the Americans saw value in a APC that could offer fire support and long range anti-tank capabilities. It got caught up in the US' convoluted procurement process ( see the film Pentagon Wars) and was designed to be too many vehicles.
The M3 series was essentially the same vehicle with extra fuel, ammunition and optics in the place of troops. It suffered from being not that fast, very tall, and generally a comprise between a few different things.
On the battlefield the two variants of the Bradley had desperate roles. The M3 was designed to scout ahead, establish observation posts, direct artillery fire and mark objectives for the armour units (Tank and M2 mounted infantry) following up.
The M2s shadowed the tanks and worked as part of armoured groups as mechanized infantry, deploying their troops in support. Their role was to protect the tanks from enemy infantry, to whom tanks are vulnerable. As tanks move over their objectives the M2s mop up any remaining enemy infantry. When engaging other armour M2s can engage other IFVs or main battle tanks with their TOW anti tank missiles.
Strikers are an Armoured Personel Carriers. They are designed more to bring troops to the battlefield in relative safety rather than actually engage the enemy as an armoured vehicle. They operate as part of Stryker Battalions which have a full compliment of a battalion (close support, engineering, ambulance, reconnaissance, antitank elements.) all with specialized Stryker variants. They were designed to be easily shippable (by air or sea) so they could be deployed within 48 hours for rapid interventions or to support other forces.
They are used primarily as infantry vehicles to defend, and to attack more lightly defended objectives, or to stage troops quickly. They are a hybrid between motorised and mechanized infantry. They are fast and mobile, and lightly armoured to withstand other infantry and artillery.
In low intensity conflicts such as Afghanistan where the small arms fire and mines/IEDs are the greatest threat the Stykers are a fire support platform for infantry and have a front line combat role. Systems like the remote gun stations allow for crew to engage without exposing the soldiers to small arms fire.
So really the Bradley's are heavier vehicles that take on well defended or well armoured objectives while the Strykers are fast fully integrated infantry units for putting troops where they need to be to engage the enemy or defend.