Is Stryker prepared for the task in Iraq?

USA TODAY ^ | 30 Sep 03 | Tom Squitieri

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WASHINGTON

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Fools rush in where others fear to tread

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Cannoneer No. 4 -

Go ahead and bump this onto your Stryker list.

[tbpiper]

Gen. Eric Shinseki, then the Army's chief of staff, proposed the Stryker in October 1999. Shinseki saw similar wheeled vehicles operated by the French military and others when he was stationed in Bosnia.

That really inspires my confidence. Why in the world would we want to emulate the French military?

[sd-joe]

Cowards stay back and don't go anywhere at all.

[mark502inf]

before it arrives in Iraq, the Stryker is being cobbled with new, heavier armor designed to withstand the type of firepower Iraqi guerrillas are using. Strykers also are being fitted with grillwork that resembles a huge catcher's mask; the grill is designed to trigger a rocket-propelled grenade before it hits the vehicle body. The Stryker's base armor is a steel body that protects it from up to 7.62mm fire, which is normal small-arms ammunition. The layer of ceramic tiles is supposed to bring the level of protection up to 14.5mm fire, which is heavy machine-gun level.

In Iraq, the three primary means of attack are RPGs, samll arms, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The armor was already good enough for the small arms (haven't heard of any heavy MG attacks). The armor was probably all right for IEDs (normally "off-set" & detonated as a vehicle drives by) as well--it certainly will be with the armor up-grade. And the grill should neutralize RPGs. All good stuff.

The problem is, the Strykers are very seldom going to be attacked. Combat units in Iraq now, even in HMMWV & 5-tons, are not being hit. The Iraqis have already figured out the difference between our logistics & admin traffic versus our combat arms guys. When attacked, combat arms units immediately counter-attack and do all they can to pursue, hunt-down and kill the attackers. The support elements simply try to break contact. A convoy of trucks carrying an infantry company can roll down a road untouched while a logistics convoy 5 minutes later on the same road gets hit hard.

It'll be interesting to see what tactics the Stryker guys use to defeat that threat.

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Stryker? Stryker, Stryker, Stryker, STRYKER!!!

[mark502inf]

Gen. Eric Shinseki, then the Army's chief of staff, proposed the Stryker in October 1999.....Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a strong proponent of the Stryker vehicle.

I feel a strong wave of cognitive dissonance sweeping over many in the FReeper world!

[Renfield]

Yes, I was under the impression that Rumsfeld is an OPPONENT of the Stryker.

[ASA Vet]

If Sec. of War Rumsfeld (has a nice realistic sound to it,)
opposed the Stryker all he'd have to do is order a halt to the program.
Only his boss, The President, could reverse that order.

[Prodigal Son]

LOL! ;-)

[Prodigal Son]

Why in the world would we want to emulate the French military?

Not just the French. Many militaries use armored wheeled vehicles. They have their uses.

[Prodigal Son]

Matter of fact here's the LAV-25. US Marines:

[tbpiper]

Didn't say it was a bad concept. Just seemed a little funny that Shinseki would be inspired by the french. We've used armored wheeled vehicles in the past, haven't we?

[Tin-Legions]

I believe Greyhound armoured cars (I believe 6 wheeled with a 37mm gun in a turret and coax) were a mainstay of US cavalry formations in WWII.

[Prodigal Son]

We've used armored wheeled vehicles in the past, haven't we?

Past and present.

[oldironsides]

Germany made these US military vehicles. Do we have a company in America with the ability to build this machine?
This German built machine was not up to specs and is being tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The proptective tiles are being replaced. What is wrong with the Pentagon? Who greased the skids for the Germans to build it?

[wastoute]

Not supporting Stryker, but Shermans were inferior to Tigers and we still won. Of course we lost a lot of tankers on the way...

[Prodigal Son]

Which vehicle are you talking about- the LAV-25 (pictured) or the Stryker?

As far as who greased the skids- it's an sort of a saying in the military "remember, your weapon was made by the lowest bidder".

[Snake Eater]

We can debate this until we all turn blue in the face. The fact is the Stryker is Shinseky's baby. This is the guy who decided the entire Army would become elite if they all wore black berets.

Skinky is going to see this thing on the battlefield no matter how many have to die in the process.

[wku man]

Are we not escorting our supply convoys? That seems like the most logical way of countering the ambushes. Of course, we may not have enough combat arms units there to give proper protection...imagine that. I say again, the military needs to be re-built, not just given new toys.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!