[Cannoneer No. 4]

C-130s can't carry it in one go

There seems to be some disagreement over just how transportable a Stryker actually is. I am pretty much convinced it will fit. What I don't know is how far the C-130 can fly with one and how much of a Charlie Foxtrot it is to get the vehicle off the aircraft and ready to fight.

[KiaKaha]

In my opinion the whole question the LAV being C130 transportable is a red herring

The RNZAF has only 5 C130 so even if they could go the whole distance non-stop, to deliver 20 LAV’s to say Fiji would take aprox 3 times as long as hiring a Roll on roll off ferry and delivering the whole 20 in one go.

[Tailback]

What Travis McGee meant was that to load the Stryker in a C-130 all the fuel has to be drained, all the crews field gear removed, all the ammo removed, and all externally mounted stuff removed so that it makes weight and will fit. Sure a Stryker will fit, it just can't fight once it gets there until a second C-130 delivers its basic load. Oh, it also limits the range of the C-130 drastically. There are lots of upgrade packages available for the M-113 to add armor, turrets, band tracks, hybrid drive, etc. All of those would cost a fraction of the amount for Stryker and you'd get a vehicle that can be air dropped and actually drive through a little mud. Remember, Stryker is only supposed to be an interim vehicle until FCS is online. Why not use a cheaper interim vehicle with more capability?

[lshoultz]

The Stryker at 40,000 pounds is able to get off the ground in only the Air Force's C-130J. That is the newest and most high-powered of the fleet because of upgraded engines and an additional use of jet assist. Unfortunately, the "J" model C-130 comprises only 8% of the 500 C-130 fleet. So, while the C-130J is good for making pictures to show Congress that it meets specifications, there are 300 Strykers in a Brigade. How many Stryker Brigades can be flown on 40 C-130Js? I'm pretty sure that when Congress made the requirement of C-130 air transportability a requiremnt of the contract, they were anticipating ALL of the Strykers being able to fly on the C-130s - not just on the planes that are super-charged.