Army Set to Redesign Stryker
FOB Tacoma - V-shaped hull for Strykers
A change to the design of the Army's Stryker vehicle to make it more likely to withstand a blast from a roadside bomb should be coming soon, the service窶冱 chief of staff told lawmakers Wednesday.Gen. George Casey told the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee that it窶冱 "probability more than a possibility" that Army will add a V-shaped hull to the bottom of the 20-ton vehicle. The shape of the hull would help deflect blasts from the Stryker窶冱 underbelly and is modeled from a similar design in the Mine Resistant Ambushed Protected class of armored vehicles.
"I can't take exactly how long it's going to take, because we're in the early design stages of it," Casey said. "But we are moving rapidly to get it built, tested and into the hands of the forces."
Army Working on Improved Stryker A1
The Army is working on a new and improved Stryker armored vehicle variant, known as the Stryker A1, that will boost the eight wheeled vehicle’s performance giving it a bigger engine, beefier transmission, brakes and suspension as well as adding new sensors, shot detection gear, a new communications network and an improved remotely operated weapons turret. [...]
The improved Stryker A1 package includes adding armor to the hull and raising the vehicle higher off the ground so that it’s better protected against IED blasts. To protect the thinly armored vehicles from Rocket Propelled Grenades, the Army added “steel cage” slat armor around the hull, meant to detonate the rocket’s warhead before it hits.
New article from Military.com.
QDR Outlines Plan for Additional Stryker Brigades
Whether or not the Stryker wheeled vehicle is the right vehicle for battlefield conditions in Afghanistan is a question that remains unanswered. What we do know: DOD wants a lot more of them. A drafter version of the quadrennial defense review (QDR), the once every four year congressionally mandated strategy review, has been leaked and is making the rounds in Washington defense policy circles.
The draft QDR calls for nearly doubling the number of Stryker brigades while trimming the number of heavy brigade combat teams. The Army currently has seven Stryker BCTs, six active and one reserve. The draft QDR calls for up to 13 Stryker BCTs.
Modernization of Stryker Fleet Approved by Army
The Army is moving forward with a plan to have General Dynamics begin work on the next generation of Stryker vehicles.
Cannon said the modernization program will significantly increase the capabilities of the Stryker fleet and assure compatibility with the light and heavy forces. The award continues the Stryker modernization program, initially awarded to General Dynamics in 2008. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich.Under the contract, the Army and General Dynamics will develop designs and build a demonstrator to assess options for continuing to enhance survivability, power, suspension, mobility and lethality, and the integration of new technologies - core enabling capabilities - for the Stryker. Mobility enablers include analysis of adding a 450 horse power diesel engine, upgrading the suspension system and driveline to carry a 60,000-lb. payload, larger tires and a new braking system. Work also includes design of a digital architecture system that connects new command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, to ensure soldiers continue to have access to the best available situational-awareness and mission systems.
SBCT Conversion
This article from Strategy Page is primarily about the conversion of heavy brigades to Stryker brigades, but also provides a nice overview of the manpower and equipment that comprise a SBCT.
SBCT’s comprise 3 Stryker infantry battalions, each having 36 Stryker vehicles distributed among 3 companies (12 each). Nine Stryker Mobile Gun vehicles, mounting 105 mm guns are there for anti-tank and infantry support roles. Nine Strykers, equipped with guided anti-tank missiles, form an anti-tank company. There’s also an artillery battalion with 18 towed 155mm Howitzers, a support units (usually company size) for Medical, Maintenance and Distribution, Headquarters, Signal, and Engineers. There is Reconnaissance squadron comprised of 42 vehicles. Total brigade manpower is 3,900 troops.
Strykers Adopt Desert Tan Color
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – Stryker armored combat vehicles will soon receive a cosmetic makeover for better concealment in Iraq and Afghanistan. The current deep green color will be phased out in favor of desert tan. The first to adopt the change was revealed inside the Stryker battle damage repair facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Oct. 5, an infantry carrier vehicle that had been restored after deterioration during enemy engagement in Iraq.
"Safeguarding soldiers is the primary purpose for this color change," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Peter Butts, 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade commander. "Strykers will blend into surroundings better. They're less likely to stand out like silhouettes." Produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, the eight-wheeled armored combat vehicles have been painted a foliage green color since their combat debut in 2003, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"Talks about changing the color have been ongoing since 2004," said Butts. "Painting this first Stryker helped us understand the necessary man hours, material needs and unit coordination to finally make it happen – it's our proof of principle." Every Stryker vehicle sent to the Qatar repair site will depart desert tan, once administrative requirements are complete.
More Stryker Brigades Planned?
The Pentagon is considering increasing the number of Stryker Brigades until the next generation of combat vehicles is developed.
The U.S. Army hopes to launch a new ground combat vehicle program in late fiscal 2010, and is seeing strong demand from military commanders for General Dynamics Corp Stryker vehicles in the meantime, a top U.S. Army general told Reuters on Wednesday."There are a lot of folks that believe that Stryker brigades are very useful in that environment. We are getting a lot of requests by commanders in Iraq, and now in Afghanistan," Brigadier General Thomas Spoehr, director of force development for the Army, told Reuters in an interview. [...]
Army Chief of Staff General George Casey approved moves to buy enough vehicles for two to five more brigades in early September, but the final decision is up to Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter, said two sources familiar with the plans.
Soldiers Explore Stryker Facility at Qatar Base
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – "You're here to see what this Stryker facility does each day for the war fighter," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Peter Butts, 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade commander, while addressing over 20 of his soldiers and civilians inside the Stryker battle damage repair facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Sept. 21. "The teamwork going on within this organization is incredible," said Butts, referring to the surrounding General Dynamics Land Systems' workforce.
For over six years, Stryker armored combat vehicles have protected U.S. Central Command forces from enemy engagement. Strykers offer troops a mobile, versatile, heavily-equipped and adaptive personnel carrier. The vehicles are capable of carrying troops through paved streets or rough off-road terrain. Most variants travel with well over 20 tons of armor, mechanical parts, weaponry systems and life-saving equipment.
GDLS contractors have been repairing battle-damaged Strykers at the U.S. military installation in Qatar since 2005. In December 2008, the facility started accepting vehicles desperately needing maintenance after suffering through numerous troop rotations. Typically a 10-day process, reset procedures return worn out vehicles to current configurations. The site recently extended its capabilities to meet urgent retrofitting requirements; critical adaptations intended to better protect occupants on today's battle field.
Stryker Vehicle Use Expanding
According to an article in the Ledger-Inquirer, a Ft. Benning unit will be the first non-Stryker unit to deploy with a small fleet of the Stryker vehicle it will use for MedEvac purposes.
Fort Benning’s 3rd Brigade is the Army’s first heavy combat team to employ the Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle.The Army’s first armored vehicle since the Bradley came aboard in the 1980s, the Stryker, which is named for two Medal of Honor recipients, may also be its most versatile combat machine.
Its chassis’ modular design supports a wide range of variants, prime of which is the Infantry Carrier Vehicle. While it can be configured to serve at least eight purposes, from fire support to mortar carrier, the version the 3rd Brigade is receiving is the armored ambulance.
“We’ll begin about two to two and a half months of training with four of the brigade’s battalions,” said Faatau Togia, the supervisor for Operational New Equipment Training, the group which will train personnel from the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Battalion; the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment; the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion; and the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.
(via FOB Tacoma)
Stryker Repair Facility Shifts Focus
By Dustin Senger, Area Support Group-Qatar
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar – “We want to work ourselves out of a job,” said Rick Hunt, from Newark, Ohio, inside the Stryker battle damage repair facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Dec. 23. “When we don’t get damaged vehicles, it means people are going home in one piece.” Hunt is the General Dynamics Land Systems site manager at the Qatar site, responsible for receiving, repairing and returning Stryker combat vehicles protecting U.S. Central Command war fighters.
A recent decrease in combat-damaged Strykers led to discussions about the fate of the repair facility at the U.S. military installation in Qatar. A new mission was needed to retain the team of experienced mechanics, welders and material controllers. In November, discussions between U.S. government and GDLS officials shifted the focus of the site to refurbishing, or “resetting,” worn out Strykers on the battlefield.
Strykers urgently needing the reset service were removed from combat operations and sent to Camp As Sayliyah. Recent shipments of the light-armored combat vehicle contained a mixture of eight Stryker variants: infantry carrier (most common), motor carrier, medical evacuation, engineer support, fire support, command, reconnaissance, and anti-tank guided missile vehicles.
Stryker Variants
The Army is considering investing in new variants of the Stryker vehicle, according to a new article in Army Times. Excerpt:
The Army is considering new upgraded variants of the Stryker and Abrams main battle tank in coming years, despite the services’ overall spending plans which now call for a substantial reduction in modernization funds for the current force vehicles over the next five years, service leaders said.The Army is now working closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense to decide how much money to continue investing in existing combat vehicles such as the Stryker and Abrams main battle tank, citing the need to increasingly put modernization dollars toward the services flagship Future Combat Systems program.
One year later, General Lee rides again
Found this article via Michael Yon's website. We've mentioned the General Lee before here and here.
By Spc. Lindsey M. Bradford, I Corps Public Affairs Office
A little more than a year after the anti-tank guided missile Stryker dubbed General Lee was retired from Operation Iraqi Freedom, it made its return to Fort Lewis where Soldiers from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division had been eagerly awaiting its arrival.
General Lee once belonged to Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, C Company, 52nd Infantry Regiment (Anti-Tank), 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. But on April 15, 2007, while conducting operations just south of the Shiek Hamed village in Iraq, the Stryker was hit by a deeply buried improvised explosive device.
Although the General had survived previous blasts in Iraq it was no match for the DBIED, and after returning its crew home from one last mission, it was retired and sent to Balad, where it was later shipped to General Dynamics, in Alabama, to receive some much-needed work.
“I actually processed (the General Lee) when it was at Balad,” recalled Joe Griffiths, material fielding manager for the Stryker program at Fort Lewis. “This thing was completely blown on its side. It needed new armor, a new engine and a good cleaning.”
General Lee arrived in Aniston, Ala., on May 17, 2007, and on May 21, 2008, it was inventoried and handed off to Soldiers in 2nd Squad, A Company, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. [...]
US Army Outlines Future Improvements for the Stryker
Here's a short excerpt of the article - click through for a complete rundown of the planned upgrades.
The US Army plans to improve its fleet of Stryker vehicles wit hthe introduction of improved suspension, increased power generation and distribution, implemented by new power management systems. According to COL Christopher Lockhart, TRADOC Capability Manager, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, since the deployment of Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) in Iraq, Stryker vehicles have been continuously fitted with new electronic systems, including power guzzling Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) jammers and gunshot detection systems. These systems rapidly drain the vehicle's power reserves, particularly when operating 'Silent Watch' with engine turned off. To sustain Silent Watch over extended periods, the introduction of an on-board auxiliary power unit is planned. The suspension will be improved to sustain loads up to 24-27 metric tons (55,000-60,000 lbs.) Lockhart presented the Stryker upgrade path to the audience of the IDGA Tactical Vehicles summit held in Washington DC in April 08. Defense Update was one of the media sponsors of this event. [...]
Refurbishing the War-Torn Stryker
Army News Service | by Jim Hinnant
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - Posters showing a battle-weary combat Soldier adorn the walls of the Stryker Battle Damage Repair Facility here. "Remember - everything we do affects this man. He and his buddies will be the first to pay for our mistakes," the posters warn.
The team of dedicated contractors working here in support of 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade has worked with that thought constantly in mind, says Tim Armstrong, Qatar site manager for General Dynamics Land Systems Division.
"As of April 19th, we have returned 123 Stryker Combat Vehicles, each with varying degrees of battle damage, to service with units in Iraq," said Armstrong. [...]
Michael Yon: Dinner with General Dubik
Journalist Michael Yon recently sat down with General Dubik in Iraq. Dubik was the top commander at Ft. Lewis while the first Stryker brigades were being formed there and is now in charge of the coalition effort to train Iraqi Security Forces. One of the topics of their conversation was the Stryker concept. Excerpt:
Years ago, LTG Dubik was chosen to form the first Stryker brigades from scratch. The Stryker has been a subject of controversy. I’ve spent about eight months on combat operations in Strykers, and perhaps a year in other modes of transportation such as Humvees, Bradleys, and boots. Over the course of that time, I became a firm believer in Strykers because what a lot of Stryker critics don’t seem to understand—presumably because they have spent little time in combat with numerous units—is that it’s not all about the vehicle. Yes, the Stryker itself is fantastic. (History might be less kind to the new MRAP.) But the biggest factor in its effectiveness is not in the vehicle, but in the way that soldiers who use it have learned to fight. The critiques I read all focused on the Stryker vehicle and totally missed the fact that Stryker brigades fight Kung Fu-style, while Humvee fighting is more like street brawling. Stryker brigades fight faster and with greater agility. Soldiers have more information. As a consequence, decision-making is distributed and responsibility pushed farther down the chain of command during fighting.
New Stryker Faring Poorly in Field
A not-so-flattering article regarding the Mobile Gun System variant first fielded by the 4/2 SBCT in Iraq.
By Christian Lowe, Military.com
BAQUBAH, Iraq - The newest version of the Army's popular Stryker combat vehicle is garnering poor reviews here from Soldiers assigned to man its tank-like hull.
The General Dynamics Corp.-built Mobile Gun System looks like a typical eight-wheeled Stryker, except for a massive 105mm gun mounted on its roof. The gun fires three different types of projectiles, including explosive rounds, tank-busters and a "canister round" that ejects hundreds of steel pellets similar to a shotgun shell.
General Lee Comes Home, Part 2
This is Part II of a story we originally posted back in September. Excerpt:
The Stryker community and beyond knows General Lee through writer Michael Yon’s dispatch titled “Superman,” which recounts unit activity where General Lee carried its soldiers on their duties virtually unscathed by roadside bombs. Michael Yon is a writer, photographer and former Green Beret who. was embedded in Iraq for nine months in 2005. He returned to Iraq in 2007 to continue reporting on the war. He is entirely reader supported and publishes his work at http://www.michaelyon-online.com.General Lee, declared a battle loss, traveled by land and sea to ANAD, where it went through much the same process as every other vehicle. ANAD overhauls or resets around 100-150 vehicles a month.
The Army calls returning damaged equipment to like-new condition reset, which returns a vehicle to a unit ready to go.
“Frankly, my view is the difference between a hollow army and an army that can sustain itself in a period of persistent conflict is reset,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said in a state-of-the-Army speech Oct. 8.
100th Stryker repair completed at Qatar site
By Army Sustainment Command News Release
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar-A ceremony marking the completion of the 100th Stryker Combat Vehicle was held Jan. 12 at the Stryker Battle Damage Repair Facility, Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar.
Col. Robert W. Schumiz, program manager for the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Warren, Mich., spoke to the 90-member workforce and other invited guests.
Schumitz summarized the historical accomplishments of the facility - including the repair of five Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle 513s. The ICV 513s were damaged and initially identified as a total loss when they arrived. Once the facility stood up, the vehicles became the first to be repaired in Spring 2005.
Army to Get More Stryker Recon Vehicles
C. Todd Lopez, Army News Service
WASHINGTON - The Army now has authorization to purchase 95 more Stryker nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicles, in addition to 10 already in Iraq and several others used for testing and training.
During a press conference Dec. 19 at the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Spoehr, chief, U.S. Army Chemical Corps, said existing NBCRVs have proven important for Army commanders in the field and that the Army requested and received approval to purchase more of them.
"The Stryker NBCRV represents a powerful tool for commanders to protect U.S. interests from weapons of mass destruction," Brig. Gen. Spoehr said. "And this month, after careful consideration, the Department of Defense gave the authorization for 95 more Stryker NBCRVs."
US Army deploys 'non-lethal' Stryker in Iraq
The following is an article excerpt - you need to be a subscriber to get the full text.
The US Army has deployed a unique version of the Stryker armoured vehicle outfitted with an array of non-lethal technologies, Jane's has learned.
Don Jarosz, a spokesman for the service's TACOM (tank-automotive) Life Cycle Management Command, confirmed that the service sent three Full Spectrum Effects Platform (FSEP) vehicles to Iraq in October. The new vehicles are operated by the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division - a Stryker-based unit.
Fielding FSEP paves the way for future integration of non-lethal technology on combat vehicles. Among other things, FSEP is equipped with floodlights, laser dazzlers and a loudspeaker system. It is supposed to provide an alternative to lethal armament in 'escalation-of-force' scenarios around checkpoints and traffic control points. Jarosz said the FSEP would enable soldiers to accomplish their mission "without resorting to deadly force".
The US military has struggled to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, particularly around roadblocks and near convoys. Earlier in 2007, the Center for Army Lessons Learned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, issued a new handbook on the application of graduated force at checkpoints. The service has also revised training procedures at places such as the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
The General Lee Comes Home
Michael Yon is back in Iraq after a brief break. I'm hoping he links up with Stryker troops on this visit as well. Regardless, he's re-published an article from Defense Daily on his site that talks about the Army equipment reset process. To illustrate the process the writer focuses on the journey of a single vehicle - the Stryker affectionately dubbed the "General Lee". Yon featured the General Lee in his dispatch titled "Superman". Excerpt:
By sea and by land, one of the Army’s war-battered Stryker vehicles known to its unit as the General Lee is coming home to Anniston Army Depot, Ala., where it was built, to be repaired and sent on to a unit in ready-to-fight condition.General Lee will be just one of the more than 300,000 major pieces of equipment the Army has spent $38 billion to repair to date under the process it calls reset, according to a September Congressional Budget Office report. The process is complex, involving a multitude of military organizations and contractors, hundreds of people and hours of work.
Time after time in Iraq, General Lee saved soldiers from improvised explosive devices, but an explosion in April left it unrepairable in Iraq and declared a battle loss.
Quick Kill system to protect Army Stryker
Raytheon’s Quick Kill Active Protection System will be fitted onto an Army Stryker vehicle for the first time this summer, say Raytheon and Army officials.
Quick Kill is designed to detect, track and bring down incoming rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and other weapons. The APS is being developed for the Army’s Future Combat Systems under a February 2006 deal between Raytheon and Boeing, which with SAIC is the FCS lead systems integrator.
Stryker Losses in Iraq Raise Questions
The Stryker concept has been controversial since its inception, but the vast majority of first-hand reports have been very positive.
By Robert H. Reid and Anne Flaherty, The Associated Press
BAGHDAD — A string of heavy losses from powerful roadside bombs has raised new questions about the vulnerability of the Stryker, the Army's troop-carrying vehicle hailed by supporters as the key to a leaner, more mobile force.
Since the Strykers went into action in violent Diyala province north of Baghdad two months ago, losses of the vehicles have been rising steadily, U.S. officials said.
National Guard, states want more Strykers
Lt. Gen. Steven Blum wants more Stryker brigades for the U.S. National Guard he commands, adding a powerful voice to the chorus of states — including Alabama, California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada and Oregon — that want more of the 20-ton, eight-wheeled armored combat vehicles.
“If the Army would identify a requirement for additional Stryker units in the Army National Guard, we would welcome that dramatically,” Blum told members of Congress on April 20. “It offers protection and see-more, know-more and act-faster kind of capabilities. I would love to have had a Stryker brigade in Katrina,” referring to the disaster response in the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Virtual Stryker, real training
Stryker drivers of all experience levels are using advanced simulators at Fort Lewis to hone their skills operating the 19-ton armored vehicles.
The $800,000 simulators allow new drivers to become acquainted with the vehicle’s handling and maneuverability and enable experienced drivers to fine-tune their skills without risking injury to soldiers or damage to the $4 million vehicles, Army officials said.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say this training capability is going to save lives in combat, and it’s going to give us a more capable force than we’ve had before,” said Brig Gen. William Troy, deputy commander of Fort Lewis and I Corps, during a short ribbon-cutting ceremony for the simulators Tuesday.
Army officials tout success of reactive armor
Army officials credit their effort to install reactive armor on more armored vehicles with cutting the number of casualties from rocket-propelled grenades in Iraq. They also said the armor, which triggers a small explosion to fend off a larger one, has reduced the Army’s immediate need for active protection systems, which are intended to shoot down incoming weapons.
“The reactive armor and slat armor protection systems currently deployed contribute to the effectiveness of our current combat systems to defeat the RPG threat without the use of an active protection system,” Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, the acquisition and systems management deputy to the assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, told lawmakers in September.
A not-so-lean, mean fighting machine
Brian Albrecht, Plain Dealer Reporter
Chances are there's one vehicle you will never drive, much less be able to afford, among the rolling ranks of gleaming chrome and supple leather at the Cleveland Auto Show.
As part of recruiting efforts at the show, which runs through Sunday at the International Exposition Center, the Army brought in a Stryker - an armored troop transport first introduced for the war in Iraq.
This million-dollar mountain of metal, looming within crushing distance of a $50,000 Porsche Boxster, is an obvious attention-getter. But the Stryker's presence is also intended to show civilians that the military is more than just grunts and guns, said Sgt. 1st Class Philip Cianchetti at the Army's exhibit.
Stryker increases troops’ survivability
By Spc. Debrah A. Robertson, 40th Public Affairs Detachment
Blackanthem Military News, Southwest Asia — I need pressure to stop this bleeding! Someone start an IV!
Brightly lit and teeming with medics, this is not an operating room or even an ambulance. This is a Medical Evacuation Stryker vehicle.
There are 10 different variants of the Stryker. Its smooth ride and heavy armor allow it to support multiple functions, from infantry power to engineering teams to ambulatory services.
Initial tests completed on Stryker NBCRV
BY U.S. Army Operational Test Command (Photos included)
DUGWAY PROVING GROUNDS, Utah (Army News Service, Dec. 14, 2006) - Initial operating tests were completed on the Stryker Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle at Dugway Proving Grounds last month.
The Stryker NBCRV will detect and identify biological, chemical, radiological and toxic industrial chemical/material hazards on the battlefield, according to Maj. Joseph Giese, test officer for the Engineer and Combat Support Test Directorate.
Crews test latest Stryker vehicle
By Jason Kaye, Northwest Guardian
YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER – Under the watchful eyes of everyone from TRADOC to General Dynamics Land Systems, Mobile Gun System crews from the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry had the opportunity Sunday to put the latest variant of the Stryker to the test on Yakima’s Range 10.
A cluster of CONEXs served as a makeshift range tower on a hilltop overlooking the seldom-used range. Infrared cameras and audio equipment recorded the engagements of each of the battalion’s nine crews. “This is the first MGS gunnery in the Army, period,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pratt, the brigade master gunner.
US FY 2006 Stryker Orders Rise Past Budgetary Plans
General Dynamics announced that the U.S. Army has placed its FY 2006 order for 306 Stryker wheeled combat vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems. The order is valued at $463.9 million, and is an extension of a November 2000 contract to provide more than 2,100 armored vehicles. Work will be performed in Anniston, AL; Lima, OH; and London, Ontario, Canada. Vehicle deliveries are slated for April 2007 through March 2008.
Buck buck for luck
By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
How does Lt. Col. Al Kelly tell his Stryker apart from others on Baghdads streets?
By looking for buck buck, the fake plastic duck hes mounted on the front hatch of the massive vehicle.
Iraqi kids call it buck buck, he said, imitating the sound a duck makes.
Hes also decorated the vehicle with a horseshoe, and a toy eagle.
He has an eagle eye, Kelly said. With the eagle, he said, We spotted a lot of [roadside bombs] before we hit them.
And what about the fake mallard?
Well, Kelly explained, after being hit by 13 roadside bombs and four snipers over the last year, I figured I was a sitting duck.
Anatomy of a Stryker
Unfortunately I don't get the Military Channel with my cable package, but for those of you that do they are broadcasting a show right now called, "Anatomy of a Stryker". Apparently it features the 1/25 SBCT operating in Mosul, and also the 3/2 SBCT as it prepared to deploy.
Follow the link for showtimes. Thanks to David for the heads-up.
New Stryker boasts plenty of firepower
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The 10th and final version of the Stryker armored vehicle to be delivered to Fort Lewis looks a lot like its predecessors, with one exception.
One big exception.
The Mobile Gun System features a 105 mm cannon. Five years in the making, it brings much more to the fight than other versions armed with a heavy machine gun, a grenade launcher or anti-tank missiles.
This will bring a lot more firepower, a lot more versatility to what the infantry can do, said Sgt. 1st Class David Cooper, a tanker who leads a platoon of three of the new vehicles in the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
The new variant they call it the MGS is designed to back up the infantry with a gun that can blast through walls, knock out a fortified sniper nest, stop another armored vehicle and clear a street of enemy fighters.
Pa. National Guard brigade gets a new Fighting Machine
Link to Full Article
By Tom Infield
Inquirer Staff Writer
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Looking like little tanks on wheels, the 19-ton Stryker vehicles sit in a parking lot next to white, wooden buildings dating from World War II. Each carries a sign: "Student driver."
Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard are beginning to learn how to operate the newest and most advanced armored vehicle in the U.S. military.
Sounding out vehicle defects
Link to Full Article
The Engineer Online
Mechanical engineers at Purdue University have teamed up with the US Army to design a portable test system to ensure the safety and readiness of the eight-wheel Stryker vehicle, a ground combat vehicle deployed in Iraq.
The system uses sound waves to detect damage to a key component in the vehicles' wheel assemblies.
Stryker ramps up to unveil Mobile Gun System
Link to Full Article
By Annette Fournier
The newest version of the Stryker vehicle, designed to provide fire power to Infantry units, will be unveiled May 15 at Fort Knox's Armor Warfighting Symposium.
The development of the Mobile Gun System is being managed by Fort Benning's Training and Doctrine Command System Manager-Stryker/Bradley.
The system was developed to meet the infantrys need for a highly mobile support vehicle to supply rapid, direct fire, specifically during close assaults, said Dave Rogers, a TSM-Stryker senior analyst. The Mobile Gun System will eventually be integrated into Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. ...
Stryker scores with US tactical vehicle force
Link to Full Excerpt
By Scott R Gourley
As of early March 2006, General Dynamics Land Systems had delivered over 1,497 Strykers to the US Army with 2,575 vehicles funded.
In addition to three Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) combat deployments to date, 21 Stryker vehicles are now in test (10 configurations at two test sites) and low-rate initial production has been approved for the final two variants: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical [NBC] Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBC RV); and Mobile Gun System (MGS).
Newest Stryker fielded
Link to Full Article
By Matthew Cox, Army Times
The Army has fielded the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle the latest variant to the Stryker vehicle series.
Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash., received the first three NBCRV Strykers in February, according to an Army press release.
The NBCRV is designed to locate, mark and report NBC contamination on the battlefield. It can detect and collect contaminated material on the move and automatically transmit digital NBC warning messages to warn follow-on forces.
The NBCRV vehicle is the ninth Stryker variant to be added to the Army inventory.
Strykers Receive Combat Ballistic Shield System
Link to Article
by Sgt. 1st Class David P. Benamati, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq - Over the last few years, the U.S. Army has taken note of the different ways Soldiers improve their combat vehicles. The Army, in conjunction with General Dynamics, developed the Combat Ballistic Shield system.
The CBS is a series of ballistic-proof metal armor plating strategically bolted to the top of the Stryker combat vehicles.
New Stryker Variants Gear Up for Testing
Link to Full Article
Defense Industry Daily
General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI received a $24.5 million contract for spare parts that are unique to the two newest Stryker variants: the M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) and the M1135 Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV). This contract funds procurement of initial unique spares for the first-time fielding of these two variants, and has a total potential value of $50 million if all options are exercised.
Strykers back at Fort Lewis for an overhaul
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Gently used theyre not.
Some, like the engineer-support models that plied the highways each morning in search of roadside bombs, logged more than 70,000 miles. The average mileage across the fleet of 285 or so vehicles is more than 20,000, officials said.
Stryker-maker General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., has begun work on a $69 million Army contract to restore the battle-tested trucks to pre-combat, like-new condition. About 120 company mechanics are doing the work at Fort Lewis and at a company yard in Auburn.
The Strykers arrived home by ship in late October, after a year in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, then another year with their successors from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division....
Strykers in Combat
Joe Katzman at Defense Industry Daily (DID) has published a lengthy collection of recent reviews of the Stryker vehicle, and adds his own analysis as well. SBCT commanders are quoted extensively. We've linked to many of these sources in the past, but DID does an excellent job of putting this information in proper context. Excerpt:
So the Stryker is not a substitute, as some of its original proponents had hoped. Instead, Col. Brown's comparisons to the heavier M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle show the Stryker as a complementary vehicle with different strengths. For sustained operations in cities or favourable terrain, a quieter vehicle that can survive basic IED and RPG attacks, travels quickly, holds up well through high mileage, lacks pavement-damaging steel tracks, and is equipped with advanced C4ISR communications, "Blue Force Tracker" software and displays, et. al. appears to have definite advantages.
Related Article (via DID): Stryker Units Win Over Skeptics - National Defense Magazine (Cover story)
Latest Stryker variant arrives for duty
Link to Article (Photo included)
By J.C. Mathews
FORT LEWIS, Wa. (Army News Service, Aug. 12, 2005) - Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, have been rotating to Yakima Training Center this summer to train on the first Stryker Mortar Carrier version B, the latest variant of the Stryker to arrive for duty.
Brigade units will field the MCV-B, essentially a Stryker with a 120mm mortar mounted in what would normally be the crew compartment, during the fall.
Army Strykers return to combat zones
Link to Article (Photos included)
By Army Forward Support Brigade, South West Asia News Release
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Iraq (Army News Service, July 29, 2005) The Armys Stryker combat vehicles are back in fight now that the first Stryker repair facility is operating in Qatar.
The Stryker forward repair activity, run by General Dynamics Land Systems under direction of the Army Materiel Commands Army Field Support Battalion-Qatar, presented the first two refurbished Strykers to Army inspectors recently.
Boeing project takes aim at wars of the future
Link to Full Article
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
What the Army calls its biggest, most complicated acquisition project ever employs more than 600 workers at Boeing facilities in Kent, with another 100 jobs due by the end of next year.
And thats just a tenth of the total number of engineers, software developers and others across the country who are working on the Armys Future Combat System, project officials said in a media briefing Monday.
The local jobs could grow if the Army designates Fort Lewis as home for an experimental combat brigade. Beginning in 2008, the unit would be the first to try out the array of unmanned and manned ground and aerial vehicles, computer networks and other equipment.[...]
Despite its flaws, troops prefer Stryker
Link to Full Article
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq In spite of its flaws, there is no other vehicle Stryker Brigade Combat Team soldiers say they would rather be in.
Some soldiers say the Strykers safety factor outweighs the litany of shortcomings outlined last year in an internal study by the Center for Army Lessons Learned at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
M1126A Fryker
Here's an April Fool's joke involving the Stryker vehicle that Steve Thorne sent to me. Meet the M1126A Fryker Armored Combat Deep Fryer.
Stryker brigades fit for duty
A Stryker Brigade commander responds to an op-ed in the Washington Times with a letter of his own. This letter was originally published on February 14th, 2005, but I don't believe we've linked to it before.
I would like to respond to the opinions Col. Douglas A. MacGregor voiced in his letter to the editor ("Army transformation," Friday).
First, as a commander of a reconnaissance troop in the Stryker brigade, I do not view myself as the leader of a "SWAT" team, as Col. MacGregor describes Stryker brigades. No offense to the members of those great organizations, but the mission I am trained to handle is far more complex. I am charged with conducting "full-spectrum operations," meaning everything from peacekeeping to high-intensity conflicts. Stryker brigades demonstrated the capability to accomplish these missions on multiple occasions in Iraq.
Army says it's fixing Stryker
Link to Full Article
MATTHEW COX, Army Times
SPRINGFIELD, Va. -- The Army's newest combat vehicle, the Stryker, is already being redesigned because of soldiers' complaints about its safety and performance, military officials said.
Several key systems are being redesigned to give future Strykers better mobility, increased protection and greater killing power, officials said.
Soldiers Defend Faulted Strykers
Link to Full Article
By Steve Fainaru, Washington Post
MOSUL, Iraq, April 2 -- An internal U.S. Army report detailing flaws in a new $11 billion armored personnel carrier known as the Stryker has come under criticism from soldiers who use the vehicle in combat.
Strykers not only obstacle for troops
Link to Full Article
CHRISTIAN HILL, THE OLYMPIAN
Challenges faced in Iraq by soldiers of a Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade went beyond their namesake vehicles.
A classified report that was leaked and made public Thursday notes design flaws and other problems with the eight-wheeled, 19-ton vehicles. It also provides a glimpse into the struggles of a unit pushed to its limits while securing a foreign land populated by millions.
Flawed Strykers still save, troops say
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
Soldiers from two Fort Lewis Stryker brigades rushed to the defense of their 19-ton vehicles this week, reacting to broad media coverage of a leaked Army report.
The performance of the wheeled infantry carriers in Iraq was just one part of the report on lessons learned by the Armys first Stryker brigade. The 120-page document was based on interviews conducted in the six weeks before the unit came home last fall.
But news reports this week that focused on flaws in the $2 million Strykers provoked strong responses from soldiers who spend long hours inside them.
I have watched this vehicle save my soldiers lives and enable them to kill our nations enemies, Lt. Col Erik Kurilla wrote in a letter to The News Tribune this week from Iraq, where hes serving with the second Stryker Brigade.[...]
Satellite broadband is Stryker MVP
Link to Full Article
BY Bob Brewin
A satellite communications system, which Army officials cobbled together from commercial components before the Armys Stryker Brigade Combat Team departed for Iraq last fall, emerged as the brigades most valuable broadband tactical Internet asset, according to an Army study.
