Stryker

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Stryker
[description]
Stryker ICV with slat armor.[1]
Specifications
Weight ICV: 16.47 t (18.12 sh tn)
MGS: 18.77 t (20.65 sh tn)
Length 6.95 m (22.92 ft)
Width 2.72 m (8.97 ft)
Height 2.64 m (8.72 ft)
Crew 2+9
Armour 14.5 mm[1]
Primary
armament		 M68A1E4 105 mm gun (MGS)
M2 .50 caliber machine gun or MK19 40 mm grenade launcher mounted in a PROTECTOR M151 Remote Weapon Station (RWS) (ICV)
Secondary
armament		 .50-cal M2 MG and M240 7.62mm MG (MGS)
Engine diesel
260 kW (350 hp)
Power/weight ICV: 15.8 kW/t (19.3 hp/sh tn)
Suspension 8×8 wheeled
Operational
range		 500 km (300 mi)
Speed 100 km/h (62 mph)

The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled all wheel drive (AWD) armored combat vehicles (ACVs) produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in current use by the US Army. It is the first new military vehicle to enter service in the US military since the M2 Bradley in the 1980s. The Stryker is based on the Canadian LAV III light-armored vehicle, which in turn is based on the Swiss Mowag Piranha. The impetus for Stryker came from then-Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki.

Stryker is named in honor of two American servicemen who were killed in action at different times: Pfc Stuart S. Stryker, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II and Spc Robert F. Stryker, who received the award for his actions during the Vietnam War.

Contents

[edit] Production history

The Stryker Brigade Combat Team idea is relatively new and based upon the Brigade Combat Team Doctrine. A newer generation of equipment, such as the Stryker, digitally connected through military C4I networks greatly enhance the overall units' lethality and ability to react to hostile forces. This light and mobile team was championed by the 34th U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki.

It has been deployed with the "catchers' mask"-style deflector (known as slat armor) that is specifically designed to disable the high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead of an RPG before it reaches the vehicle. It does so by squeezing together the angled sides of the metal nose cone and shorting the conductors between the detonator at the tip and the explosive charge at the back of the RPG warhead. This is a newer, more effective technique, not to be confused with older style appliqué plate armor with an air space behind, designed to pre-detonate the warhead so that the focus of the shaped charge dissipates before reaching the hull armor.

[edit] Design

The Stryker is a 4X8 drive vehicle, which can be switched to 8X8 drive via a pneumatic system. The vehicle uses pneumatics and hydraulics to operate almost all mechanical features. All variants share major components, including the power pack (engine, transmission), hydraulics, wheels, tires, differentials and transfer case. The only difference is the M1133 Stryker MEV (Medical Evacuation Vehicle) which has a higher-capacity generator and air-conditioning, and the M1130 Stryker CV (Commander's Vehicle) which also has air-conditioning. The air-conditioning unit is mounted on the 'pack'.

[edit] Power pack and mechanical features

The system uses a standard Caterpiller engine common to medium lift trucks already deployed and in service with the U.S. Army. Maintenance personnel were already familiar with the engine and there is a common parts pool associated with its use.[2]

Attention to the ease of maintenance was a priority in the design, with most cables, hoses, and mechanical systems having quick disconnects to speed removal and installation. The 'powerpack' can be removed and reinstalled in less than one hour, making it easier to remove components and fix them outside the vehicle rather than to attempt repairs with the vehicle intact. It is possible to remove and repair the turbocharger in this way, for example.

[edit] Command, Control, and Targeting

  • Extensive computer support helps soldiers fight the enemy while reducing friendly fire incidents. Each vehicle can track friendly vehicles in the field as well as detected enemies.
  • A day-night thermal imaging (TI) camera is mounted outside the Stryker so the commander in the vehicle can see what the driver sees. Soldiers can practice training with the vehicles from computer training modules inside the vehicle.
  • Both the driver and the commander have periscopes, enabling them to see outside the vehicle without exposing themselves to outside dangers. The driver has a little more than 90 degrees and the commander has almost a 360 degree field of vision from a safe position inside the vehicle.
  • General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a contract to develop the new Power and Data Management Architecture (PDMA). PDMA system will provide the network and computer processor improvements that will allow further proposed upgrades.[3]

[edit] Protective features

  • The armor suite has been upgraded from the MOWAG design to be proof against 14.5mm machine gun fire with armor piercing ammunition it is also designed to protect from 152mm artillery fragments. Details of this armor are classified. The armor is more resistant to penetration than the MOWAG armor while being lighter.[4][5]
  • The automatic fire extinguishing system (AFES) has several sensors in the engine and troop compartments. If a fire is detected it will activate the fire bottle nearest the fire automatically. If it does not, the driver can activate the bottle from the driver's compartment.
  • Slat armor, a slatted "cage" (troops refer to this as the "birdcage") on the outside of the vehicle is designed to give the Stryker an added level of protection from rockets, RPG's, tank shells and similar impact-fused explosive weapons. The slats are designed to detonate such weapons before they contact the hull, dissipating the blast force and rendering it less harmful.[6][7]
  • The fuel tanks are externally mounted to reduce injury to troops in case of fire or explosion. They are designed to blow away from the vehicle so that any fire or explosion would be kept outside the hull.
  • The NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) Warfare system filters out airborne contaminants while the compartment is kept airtight and can produce positive pressure to maintain the protected environment.

[edit] Mobility Features

  • A centralized tire pressure system to adjust tire pressure to the terrain conditions for maximum speed and/or traction. There are four settings: highway/asphalt, snow/mud, general off-road terrain, and finally emergency. Emergency is only used when all four front wheels are destroyed. The Stryker can move for a few miles on this setting before the remaining tires ignite. Each setting has a speed limit. A warning will go off if the vehicle exceeds the recommended speed for its tire pressure.
  • A 4x8 drive system allows the vehicle to move quickly and can change to a 8 wheeled drive configuration in difficult terrain.

[edit] Variants

The Stryker chassis' modular design supports a wide range of interchangeable parts to create different variants. The two main chassis are the Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS). The MGS is a heavier chassis to support a variant of the 105 mm M68A1 rifled cannon (M68A1E4), a lightweight version of the gun system used on the original M1 Abrams main battle tanks and the M60 Patton main battle tank. The M68A1E4 also features a muzzle brake to assist with recoil and an autoloader, a rare feature on US tank guns.

The Stryker has the following configurations with more planned:

M1134 Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Variant equipped with a TOW missile and M240B machine gun
M1134 Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Variant equipped with a TOW missile and M240B machine gun

All Strykers share common parts, limited self-recovering abilities and bullet-resistant self-inflating ("run-flat") tires, along with their anti-RPG slat armor.

Armament: TOW anti-tank guided missile; and a M2 .50 cal machine gun, MK19 grenade machine gun, or M240B machine gun in the PROTECTOR M151 Remote Weapon Station (RWS).[8]

[edit] Operators

M1126 APC variant equipped with the PROTECTOR M151 with MK19 grenade machine gun and anti-HEAT slat armor
M1126 APC variant equipped with the PROTECTOR M151 with MK19 grenade machine gun and anti-HEAT slat armor
M1134 Stryker ATGM carrier
M1134 Stryker ATGM carrier

[edit] U.S. Brigades

[edit] Combat history

[edit] Deployments

  • Post-invasion Iraq, 2003-2005: the first Stryker brigades were deployed to Iraq in October 2003. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis was the first to field and deploy the Stryker vehicle to combat in Iraq from Nov 2003 to Nov 2004. 3rd Brigade was relieved by 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT). The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team from Fairbanks, Alaska's Fort Wainwright began its initial deployment in August 2005 to Summer 2006. Their stay was subsequently extended for up to four months and they were reassigned to Baghdad. The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division re-deployed to Iraq late Spring of 2006. The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division is stationed in Vilseck, Germany, after reflagging to the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment, to have a European presence and be able to deploy quickly to that part of the world. In this process, the existing 2nd Cavalry Regiment was reflagged to 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The 172nd SBCT has returned from Iraq, and has been reflagged as the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.

[edit] Mission

  • The Stryker family of vehicles fill a role in the U.S. Army that is neither heavy nor light, but rather an attempt to create a force that can move infantry to the battlefield quickly and in relative security. Brigades that have been converted to Strykers have been light, or, in the case of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, unarmored HMMWV-based cavalry scouts. For these units, the addition of Strykers has increased combat power by providing armor protection, a vehicle-borne weapon system to support each dismounted squad (a PROTECTOR M151 Remote Weapon Station with .50-cal or Mk-19), and the speed and range to conduct missions far from the operating base.
  • Stryker units seem to be especially effective in urban areas, where vehicles can establish initial security positions near a building and dismount squads on a doorstep.
  • Similar to a UH-60 Black Hawk, the Stryker relies on its speed for the majority of its defense against heavy weapon systems. It is not capable of engaging heavily armored units and relies on other units to control threats outside of its classification.
  • However, at the National Training Center (Fort Irwin California) 3rd Brigade 2nd ID proved that through the use of unconventional tactics and small dismounted teams armed with anti armor weaponry, a Stryker unit could hold its own against a conventional armored unit should the need arise. This situation is something that commanders would most likely avoid due to a higher casualty rate.
  • Brigades equipped with the Stryker are intended to be strategically mobile (i.e. capable of being rapidly deployed over long distances). As such the Stryker was intentionally designed with a lower level of protection compared to tracked vehicles like the M2 Bradley, but with much lower logistic requirements.

[edit] Criticisms

Main article: Stryker Vehicle Controversy

The Stryker has come under intense scrutiny since its introduction in the US Army. A report to a congressman initially blasted various points concerning the vehicle, only to have soldiers in the field seemingly exonerate its performance in a report by the US Army. However, the Stryker has revived some age-old issues concerning whether tracked or wheeled vehicles are more effective, as well as specific complaints concerning various Stryker features.[14]

  • Much of the controversy centers around the Stryker not being an Infantry Fighting Vehicle IFV in the mode of the M2 Bradley in the case of heavy armor protection and tracks' improved off-road mobility.
  • Weight creep and heavy-lift transport also come up as issues. The ability of the Stryker to be air transportable by C-130 transport aircraft is one of the problems cited.

In addition to generic criticisms from the choice of wheels over tracks, critics claim there are many flaws with the Stryker. They also caution that any positive testimonial must be evaluated against the fact that five of the six planned Stryker brigades were previously foot-infantry units, hence the Stryker (or any armored vehicle) provides a great improvement on their former mobility and protection. Further, Iraq's many paved roads and very dry climate make a number of criticisms less significant in the current conflict yet no less valid overall. However, Canadians have had trouble with the LAV IIIs (on which the Stryker is based) getting stuck in the mud in Afghanistan and rolling over. This has been attributed to the LAV's improved IED resistance and its turret.[15].

Soldiers and officers who use Strykers defend them as very effective vehicles; an article in the Washington Post states:

"But in more than a dozen interviews, commanders, soldiers and mechanics who use the Stryker fleet daily in one of Iraq's most dangerous areas unanimously praised the vehicle. The defects outlined in the report were either wrong or relatively minor and did little to hamper the Stryker's effectiveness, they said."

Reports from military personnel and analysts indicate the Stryker is superior to other military vehicles (including Abrams and Bradley tanks and Humvees) regarding survivability against IEDs (improvised explosive devices).[16][17] One colonel said that the Strykers saved the lives of at least a hundred soldiers deployed in northern Iraq.[18]

Colby Buzzell, in "My War" and on his blog, defends the utility of the Stryker over track armor in urban settings.

Ernesto Haibi, in his blog "A Candle in the Dark", also calls the Stryker indispensable in an urban environment.

The Stryker MGS has been pushed into low-rate initial production for evaluation,[19] with plans for full production in 2007.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Army Fact File - Stryker. Retrieved on 2006-07-31.
  2. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/iav.htm
  3. ^ http://www.defense-update.com/products/s/stryker.htm
  4. ^ http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=965
  5. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/iav.htm
  6. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/iav.htm
  7. ^ http://www.defense-update.com/products/s/slat-stryker.htm
  8. ^ GlobalSecurity.org. M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle. US Weapon Systems. Retrieved on 2006-04-17.
  9. ^ Jane's International Defence Review, June 2006, p.64-5
  10. ^ A Soldier's Guide to Army Transformation - Building a Direct Fire Unit - http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/English/5_4_1_4.asp
  11. ^ CBC News In Depth, Equipment: Mobile Gun System vs. Leopard tank, Oct 30 2003, http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdnmilitary/equipment.html
  12. ^ Army might buy surplus tanks from Germans, Swiss. CTV News, Oct 31 2006 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061031/canada_tanks_061031/20061031?hub=Canada
  13. ^ Fort Lewis Website; http://www.lewis.army.mil/52sbct/
  14. ^ http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/docs/2wheels98.pdf
  15. ^ Canadian American Strategic Review. Reviewing the LAV III – Rollovers and Suicide Bombers. LAV III. Retrieved on 2006-05-14.
  16. ^ Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan: Effects and Countermeasures, Congressional Research Service, Sept. 25 2006 http://www.fit.edu/fip/documents/SecNews1.pdf
  17. ^ Stryker increases troops’ survivability, U.S. Army 40th Public Affairs Detachment, Jan. 3 2007 http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/Stryker_increases_troops_survivability3281.shtml
  18. ^ Soldiers Defend Faulted Strykers
  19. ^ General Dynamics Delivers First Production Stryker MGS Vehicles. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] External links

[edit] Official U.S. Army websites

[edit] Other websites

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