Jump to content

Stryker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 80.77.40.11 (talk) at 07:21, 20 October 2005 (→‎External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the manufacturer of medical and orthopedic products, see Stryker Corporation. For the Mortal Kombat character, see Kurtis Stryker.
Stryker
Infantry Fighting Variant equipped with the .50 caliber machine gun
Country Of Origin:United States
Designation:Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Configuration:8 x 8
Manufacturer:General Dynamics
Land Systems
Crew:4
Length:6.95 m (22.92 ft)
Width:2.72 m (8.97 ft)
Height:2.64 m (8.72 ft)
Weight:16,472 kg 18.12 t (ICV)
18,772 kg 20.65 t (MGS)
Clearance:
Fording:
Obstacle:
Trench:
Speed: 100 km/h (62 mph) (road)
km/h (off-road)
Range: 502 km (312 miles)
Primary armament:M68A1E4 105 mm gun
M2 .50 caliber gun
2 x M6 smoke grenades
Secondary armament:.50-caliber M2 gun
MK19 40mm grenade machine gun or
MK240 7.62mm machine gun
4 x M6 smoke grenades
Armour:mm
Power plant:350 hp

The Stryker is a family of eight wheeled, all wheel drive, armored combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems and is in current use by the US Army. It is the first military vehicle to enter service in the US military since the M1 Abrams tank in the 1980s. The Stryker is based on the LAV III light-armoured vehicle, which in turn is based on the Mowag Piranha.

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

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.

The Stryker was recalled from duty early in Iraq in order to be retrofitted with armor capable of adequately defending against rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attacks that it would likely face in Iraq. It has since been redeployed with the "Catcher's Mask" style deflector (known as slat armor) that pre-detonates a RPG's high explosive (HE), thereby reducing the overall penetration power and increasing the durability of the vehicle.

Variants


Anti-Tank Guided Missile Variant equipped
with the TOW missile and M240B machine gun

The Stryker chassis is very modular in design to tout increased survivability and supports a wide range of inter-changeable 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 105 mm M68A1 rifled cannon, the same gun system as was used on the original M1 variant of the Abrams main battle tank.

The Stryker has the following configurations with more planned in the future:

  • Armored Personel Carrier (APC)
  • Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Reconnaissance Variant (NBC RV)
  • Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) armed with TOW missile
  • Mortar Carrier (MC) armed with 120mm Mortar
  • Medical Evacuation Variant (MEV)
  • Engineer Squad Variant (ESV)
  • Command Variant (CV)
  • Fire Support Variant (FSV)
  • Reconnaissance Variant (RV)
  • Mobile Gun System (MGS)

All Strykers share common parts, self recovering abilities, and bullet resistant self inflating (run-flat) tires, along with their anti-RPG slat armor. Armament: M2 .50 cal machine gun, MK19 grenade machine gun, TOW anti-tank guided missile, M240B machine gun.

The Strykers seen in US Army service are criticized for being poorly armed compared with similar vehicles, like the similar Coyote. The Stryker could mount the same turret, with 25 mm autocannon as the Coyote or the United States Marine Corps's LAV but vehicles equipped with this turret are too tall to drive on and off a C-130 transport aircraft. Being able to drive off the C-130, and right into combat, was regarded as more important than providing the occupants with a more powerful weapon. It should be noted that the Stryker is too wide to enter a C-130 when the "slat" armor is attached.

Operators

Infantry Fighting Variant equipped with the MK19 grenade machine gun
Stryker light armored vehicle

Combat history

Deployments

  • Post-invasion Iraq, 2003-2005: the first Stryker brigades were deployed to Iraq in October 2003. 3rd Brigade, 2d Infantry from Fort Lewis was the first to field and deploy the Stryker vehicle to combat in Iraq from Nov 2003 to Nov 2004. 3d Brigade was relieved by 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (SBCT) and is currently in Iraq.

Criticisms

The Stryker has been something of a controversial vehicle, with many criticisms levered at its concept, design, doctrine and costs. The Stryker MGS is most often compared by critics to the cancelled M8 AGS and the ICV to the M113A3. It is argued that any C4I technologies to be fitted on Stryker giving it its purported Situational Awareness advantage can also be installed on existing, more survivable and efficient vehicles

A 108-page report in 2003 to a Congressman reports on many flaws of the Stryker.

Disadvantages of wheeled vehicles in general

Critics claim that a wheeled vehicle suffers many disadvantages versus a tracked vehicle:

  • Inferior cross-country ability due to higher ground pressure. A track distributes vehicular weight over an area equal to the width of the tracks multipled by its length on the ground, which tends to be comparable to the vehicle's length. Tires distribute weight only over the relatively small areas of tire contact with the ground. Thus tracks can go over terrain where wheels would sink.
    • This also means it is more likely to set off pressure-detonated mines, but the tires provide greater protection against the mines than tracks do.
  • The performance of a wheeled vehicle suffers more with excess weight than a tracked vehicle.
  • Wheels are high and vulnerable targets for even small arms. The wheel wells cannot be protected by track-style armored skirts, for that would interfere with the vehicle turning; however, the run flats tires have proven invaluable, allowing Strykers with extensive damage to tires from IEDs to continue their mission. In comparison, a tracked vehicle with a thrown track would take 90+ minutes before the vehicle could be moved, delaying the mission and making the vehicle vulnerable to additional attacks.
  • Wheels can turn the vehicle, but tracks can pivot the vehicle. Thus large wheeled vehicles (Stryker), have larger turn radiuses and inferior maneuverability.
  • Wheeled vehicles find it very difficult to surmount obstacles (such as barricades) that a tracked vehicle would easily climb over.
  • A wheeled vehicle is not really faster in field conditions when one takes into account the tracked vehicle's superior maneuverability and off-road performance.
  • Any advantages a wheeled vehicle has over steel tracked counterparts can be reduced by using new band-track and electric-drive technology. Conventional tracks consist of linked solid metal segments with rubber pads attached; a rubber band track consists of coils of steel cables coated in rubber. While rubber band tracks cannot support the weight of tanks, they have been tested up to weights of 30 tons and where used on US Army halftracks in the Second World War. The M113 APC and its upgraded MTVL form, the most often proposed alternatives to Stryker could easily be fitted with these tracks. Between the band tracks and a electric-drive motor, it can actually match the Stryker's theoretical road speed of about 62MPH.

See also: Tracks versus Wheels The Wheel Versus Track Dilemma (pdf)

Design

In addition to generic criticisms from the choice of wheels over tracks, critics claim there are many flaws with the Stryker.

ICV and general complaints

  • A lack of amphibious ability, since there is no waterjet.
  • A original "Key Performance Factor" was for it to be air-transportable by C-130. While it doesn't yet met the requirement to fly 1000 nautical miles via C130, it is still capable of flying combat ready 600 miles.
  • It is too heavy for parachute operations.
  • It is quieter but larger than comparable tracked vehicles. (Here, one must be fair: it is actually smaller in its basic dimensions than a BTR-80.)
  • The ICV weapons systems are heavy machine guns that are used with the Kongsberg Remote Weapons Station, which will have a stabilization capability to shoot on the move by 2006.
  • The vehicle's armor protects against 14.5mm, but the add-on-slat-armor only defeats RPGs with HE warheads. Armor-Piercing tipped RPGs have been known to punch through the slat-armor. Stryker armor advantage over the armored M1114 Hummve is significant, but its armor is in turn inferior to that which can be fitted to the tracked M113 APC and M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Both of these vehicles are already available in large numbers; over 15,000 surplus M113s are in storage in Army depots.
  • As with any vehicle mounted weapon, the vehicle commander must expose himself in the hatch to correct a weapons malfunction.
  • The interior is tight with a squad of fully combat equipped soldiers, to include body armor with ballistic plates and a second load of ammunition that is also carried on the vehicle

MGS-specific criticisms

  • The C-130 cannot carry the heavier Mobile Gun System at all, thus totally failing the "Key Performance Factor" above.
  • Instead of using a low pressure gun like the M8 (or the Russian 2S25), the Stryker MGS uses the M60's 105mm M68A1 cannon. This gun has far too much recoil for the Stryker's weight class.
  • Thus, they added a muzzle brake. Muzzle brakes reduce recoil at the cost of extra blast and noise. The noise level in tests approached 200dB. It is estimated that means a soldier cannot safely approach within 450m of a firing Stryker MGS. The blast debris was also extensive, forcing the crew to fight in the buttoned-up position.
  • Even with the muzzle brake, the recoil still damages the MGS' more delicate internals, such as night vision electronics, the lights, instrumentation and helmets worn by test dummies. Without the muzzle brake, the recoil mechanism is destroyed.
  • Unlike the M8 autoloader, the MGS autoloader apparently cannot reliably select the right type of round. It also has a carousel with half the capacity, reducing its battle endurance.
  • Only 2-axles on a Stryker are equipped with run-flat tires. The MGS is too heavy to be supported on 2 axles.
  • No winch means no self-recovery
  • Various other ergonomic and survivability flaws.

Updates

According to a Washington Post article, the Stryker vehicle has some serious faults; e.g. the insufficient ability to carry additional armor for protection against rocket-propelled grenades. The 5,000 pounds armor that was added caused problems with the automatic tire pressure system, causing crews to check tire pressure three times a day. Other problems include:

  • As designed, the weapon system does not shoot accurately when the Stryker is moving.
  • Troops cannot fasten their seat belts when they are wearing bulky body armor. This contributed to the death of two soldiers when their Stryker vehicle rolled over. This problem was fixed by the time the CALL report was published and six months prior to the Washington Post article.
  • Computer systems for communications, intelligence and other systems have malfunctioned in the desert heat due to air conditioning problems.

Counter-criticisms

  • Defense Industry Daily: M1126 Strykers in Combat: Experiences and Lessons. Addresses both the Washington Post article and POGO's honest but puzzled publication of its surprise at the positive reviews it got from soldiers who had used the Strykers in combat. It includes extensive additional quotes and experiences from soldiers and reporters who have served with Strykers in Iraq, and even a Russian analyst review. It concludes by discussing the broader lessons from these experiences that apply beyond the Stryker itself.
  • Wheeled vehicles are quiet in comparison to tanks (though hybrid powered tracked vehicles can also be very quiet).
  • Ability to put mileage on them that would destroy an M2 Bradley makes them very mobile in theater, lets them shift quickly and often.
  • Don't destroy roads or curbs when driven (then again, new rubber band tracks are pretty good, too)
  • Tires have run-flat designs, allowing mobility after damage.
  • Armor protects soldiers from bombs which destroy smaller vehicles such as Humvees.
  • Durability allows fast repair and redeployment.
  • Strykers' advanced communication systems give them excellent situational awareness, letting them coordinate fast raids and missions almost on-the-fly, even in unfamiliar territory, and expect that they will go well.

Source: Star and Stripes, testimony & analysis in DID article.

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stryker&oldid=25988764"