[...] Medium-armored vehicles have proven their value in the fight to stabilize Iraq. Light vehicles such as Humvees are vulnerable to small-arms fire and improvised explosive devices. Heavy armor provides excellent force protection but it is difficult to maneuver in urban terrain. Medium armor provides enhanced force protection as well as mobility. The Stryker brigade deployed to northern Iraq in late 2003 is successfully policing an area that previously required an entire regular division. [...]
The United States is in the forefront of a radical transformation of ground forces, one that will result in heavy forces becoming lighter than they are currently and lighter forces becoming, in effect, medium-weight forces. A first step in that transformation is the creation of medium-weight combat brigades built around a new fighting vehicle, the Stryker. It is intended to be a bridge between light infantry and the heavy-armored force. The Army plans to field at least six Stryker brigades, possibly more.
Medium Armor and the Transformation of the U.S. Military
This long article from the Army includes information regarding the Stryker Brigades.
[Link to Full Article]
Dr. Daniel Gouré and Kenneth A. Steadman
[...] Medium-armored vehicles have proven their value in the fight to stabilize Iraq. Light vehicles such as Humvees are vulnerable to small-arms fire and improvised explosive devices. Heavy armor provides excellent force protection but it is difficult to maneuver in urban terrain. Medium armor provides enhanced force protection as well as mobility. The Stryker brigade deployed to northern Iraq in late 2003 is successfully policing an area that previously required an entire regular division. [...]
