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The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled All-wheel-drive armored combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Combat Systems, in use by the US Army . Based on the Canadian LAV III light-armored vehicle, which in turn is based on the Swiss Mowag Piranha , the Stryker is the US Army's first new vehicle since the M2 Bradley in the 1980s . The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the , 2007 . The Stryker was championed by General Eric Shinseki when he was Army Chief Of Staff . The vehicle is employed in Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, light and mobile units based on the Brigade Combat Team Doctrine that relies on vehicles connected by military C4I networks. DESIGN Pneumatic or hydraulic systems drive almost all of the vehicle's mechanical features; for example, a pneumatic system switches between 8X4 and 8X8 drive. The vehicle comes in several variants with a common engine, transmission, hydraulics, wheels, tires, differentials and transfer case. Two exceptions are the M1130 Stryker CV (Commander's Vehicle) and M1133 Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle, which have an air conditioning unit mounted on the pack. The medical vehicle also has a higher-capacity generator. Power pack and mechanical features The Stryker uses a Caterpillar engine common in Army medium-lift trucks, forestalling extensive retraining of maintainers and allow use of common parts.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/iav.htm Designers strove to ease the maintainer's job, giving most cables, hoses, and mechanical systems with quick-disconnecting mechanisms. The engine and transmission can be removed and reinstalled in less than one hour, allowing repairs to the turbocharger and many other components to be done outside the vehicle. Command, Control, and Targeting
Protective features
Mobility Features
OPERATIONAL HISTORY Deployments Post-invasion Iraq, 2003-2005 :
VARIANTS The Stryker chassis' modular design supports a wide range of 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. missile and M240B machine gun.]] The Stryker has the following configurations with more planned:
OPERATORS with MK19 automatic grenade launcher and anti- HEAT slat armor]]
U.S. Brigades
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. CRITICISMS See Also: Stryker Vehicle Controversy The Stryker had 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. Some criticism of the Stryker continues a decades-long ongoing debate issues concerning whether tracked or wheeled vehicles are more effective. Other criticism is specific to the Stryker, with complaints concerning various Stryker features.http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/docs/2wheels98.pdf Much of the controversy centers around the Stryker's not being an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) in the mode of the M2 Bradley . The Stryker lacks heavy armor protection and its wheels provide less Off-road mobility than tracks. 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. Rollover is a greater risk with the Stryker relative to other transport vehicles, due to the Stryker's higher Center Of Gravity . The high center of gravity was a deliberate design choice as an anti-mine/IED measure. The Canadian LAV III has had this problem in which was aggravated by the turret installed in the LAV III, which raises the center of gravity yet higher, and crumbling road shoulders found in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Critics note that the LAV III's have been stuck in mud in Afghanistan and that mobility is less than that of of an M2. The U.S. Army argues that the comparison with armored tanks is inappropriate, since Strykers have been primarily deployed in foot infantry units which had previously relied on unarmored trucks and Humvees for mobility. From this perspective Strykers should be seen as an enhancement to the protection of unarmored formations and not the reverse. Documented testimony of the officers and men using the Stryker have been supportive of the vehicle and its protection. The level of protection provided is superior to up armored Humvees.3 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." Soldiers Defend Faulted Strykers by Steve Fainaru Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, April 3, 2005; Page A21 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).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 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 One colonel said that the Strykers saved the lives of at least a hundred soldiers deployed in northern Iraq. Soldiers Defend Faulted Strykers Colby Buzzell , in "My War" and on his blog , defends the utility of the Stryker over track armor in urban settings. The Stryker MGS has been pushed into low-rate initial production for evaluation,4 with plans for full production in 2007. FUTURE Currently the Stryker is in the research and development phase of being converted to a vehicle capable of Autonomous Navigation. REFERENCES SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS Official U.S. Army websites
Other websites
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