Back from war, Stryker vehicles get refit

The Seattle Times ^ | December 18, 2005 | Associated Press

[neverdem]

Associated Press

FORT LEWIS — After logging thousands of miles during their first two years in Iraq, the Army's Stryker vehicles are getting an overhaul before being sent back with soldiers.

The eight-wheeled, armored vehicles are being worked on by mechanics from General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc., which made the Strykers and has a $69 million Army contract to restore them. Maintenance is taking place at this post south of Seattle and at a company yard in Auburn.

The Strykers arrived home by ship in late October. They were used for a year in Iraq by the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, then another year with their successors from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Average mileage across the fleet of roughly 285 vehicles is more than 20,000, officials said.

Maj. Robert Berg, who heads the Stryker acquisition and reset programs at Fort Lewis, said the vehicles have held up well.

General Motors Corp. and General Dynamics Corp., a defense contractor in Falls Church, Va., were awarded a $4 billion Army contract to produce 2,100 vehicles to serve six brigades — three of which are based at Fort Lewis.

The Strykers' addition to the Army in 2002 was criticized by some who said at $2 million each they were too expensive, too heavy and inferior to other vehicles.

However, they've been praised by senior generals and young privates alike for their speed, maneuverability, communications systems and the protection they provide from improvised explosive devices, a common weapon used by the insurgency in Iraq.

The most heavily damaged vehicles remain overseas, at General Dynamics' main repair facility in Qatar. About 50 company mechanics also traveled to Iraq with the Stryker brigades, performing routine maintenance and repairs.

[neverdem]

Stryker Brigade Combat Team

[Babu]

... Probably finally going to get proper armor upgrades so the soldiers don't have to rummage through landfills finding scraps of shot-up plating and glass to attach to their vehicles. /sarcasm>

So are you pleased now, Lamestream MedJedia?? Methinks not ...

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[Termite_Commander]

Handy Visual Aid

[neodad]

The Strykers' addition to the Army in 2002 was criticized by some who said at $2 million each they were too expensive, too heavy and inferior to other vehicles

Seem to recall the MSM saying the same thing about the M-1.

[StarCMC]

Talked to a returned Stryker Brigade hero last Thursday. He told me about one time when they were driving down a street between buildings. An explosion leveled buildings on either side of them and they just kept roling on. These machines are worth every last penny in my book.

[Right Wing Assault]

So this isn't it?

[Prost1]

I understand the Strykers are inadequate in urban warfare unless heavily protected by Bradleys and a few Abrams.

They are based in Mosel and not Bagdad or Fallujah for a reason. The casualty rate would go way up...

The venerable M113 is far less expensive and with modern upgrades possibly superior.

[Chewbacca]

The shaggin wagon.

Needs a bit of a trim though.

[adamsjas]

I understand the Strykers are inadequate in urban warfare unless heavily protected by Bradleys and a few Abrams.

Thats not the indications given by the troops thr ride them. Where are you getting this info. Perhaps post a link, or admit you made it up.

[Prost1]

"Thats not the indications given by the troops thr ride them. Where are you getting this info. Perhaps post a link, or admit you made it up."

Try this link...

http://www.geocities.com/equipmentshop/m113combat.htm

[endthematrix]

That link came up unavailabe. I thought the Stryker was too heavy (still may be as airborne/airlift role) and that it would get bogged due to the wheeled chassis. The reports from troops say the platform is . Those RPG skirts maybe ugly but they work.

[Prost1]

Try this...

http://www.combatreform.com/m113combat.htm

[neverdem]

Thanks for the pic!

[endthematrix]

Thanks. No doubt the criticism of the Stryker is there. The link orgs Mission Statement:

" An elite group composed of military professionals, aircraft and ground vehicle designers and civilians dedicated towards creating an aircraft-delivered (forced entry) ground force that has tracked, mechanized x-country armored fire & maneuver capabilities to execute decisive 3D maneuver alone or in concert with enhanced 2D maneuver forces."

The link really only stated the only problems with Stryker were of weight (air transport) and cost. They tossed in some statistic death Stryker/M113 ratio which is misleading since Strykers are frontline patrol while the Gavin are are taking shotgun.

Another criticism was really against up-armoring the Humvee; that money should not be devoted to Strykers, but Gavins instead. Again this is the fact that Strykers fair better than up-armored Humvess.

[endthematrix]

Here's a post from well educated freeper who knows this subject.

[Prost1]

I am familiar with the post and argument.

[topher]

So this isn't it?

The Volkswagon Beetle was the brain child of Adolf Hitler -- something that is lost on the hippee's of the 1960's who relied on them.

Hitler wanted a "people's car" or "folks wagon" (notice the German "Volkwagon" and "folks wagon" similarity).

Just rib a liberal the next time you see one driving one of these or telling tales of driving them in the 1960's and 1970's...

[neverdem]

The venerable M113 is far less expensive and with modern upgrades possibly superior.

I was assigned to units in Vietnam and Germany that had M113 APCs. I'll agree that tracks are superior going cross country and climbing slopes. I think if my unit's duties were mostly confined to roads, even unimproved dirt roads, wheels are better than tracks.

Tracks don't have wheels' speed, IMHO. Wheels don't mangle the roads. With eight wheels, you can lose a couple and probably get the hell out of Dodge.

IF a track is thrown off one of the APC's drive wheels, I doubt that you will be nothing more than a static target for at least 20 minutes. You have to break the track. Then, you have to guide the APC to re-align the APC over the track over all the APC's wheels again. Then the track must be rejoined and put under tension.

[endthematrix]

"Emerging Band Track technology would replace the segmented metal tracks with a continuous steel reinforced rubber band - think of it as a single steel belted radial tire stretched over the sprockets.

The Band track is only 50% the weight of a traditional steel segmented track, which translates to better acceleration and braking, lasts about 4000 miles, reduces noise and vibration, and creates less wear and tear on roads. There is little or no maintenance, although changing the band in the field takes longer than the standard track. One drawback to rubber, however, is that it burns just like tires."

THE KILLER RIDE: Grading the Stryker Combat Vehicle

"The M113 band track system dramatically minimizes noise, reduces infrared and electromagnetic signatures, enhances survivability, reduces rolling resistance and improves vehicle agility. The possibility of road damage is eliminated, with no possibility of metallic components to be in contact with roadways. M113 rubber band track is competitively priced with metal track systems and offers very significant life cycle cost savings, delivered through lower maintenance requirements, and longer track and roadwheel life. "

Band Track System Available From Both United Defense and Soucy International