Abstract: The reliability of the tactical stirling cryocooler is a important performance. The paper introduces some basic reliability conception, and the prediction methods of reliability of RICOR, Thales cryogenics and BAE for the tactical stirling cryocooler. The reliability development of the tactical stirling cryocooler is detailed presented from the 1950s to nowadays in the paper. Finally the paper introduce some acceleration method of reliability for the tactical stirling cryocooler.