SubscribeDetails of the Stryker from General Dynamics Land Systems.
Program name:
Stryker Armored Vehicle
Program Description:
Design, build and field 2,559 total vehicles over seven Brigade Combat Teams in 10 different configurations. The Stryker is an eight-wheeled combat vehicle that is lighter, smaller and more readily deployable than current Army combat vehicles. It is C-130 transportable with 14.5-mm basic armor protection. A field kit can add RPG protection.
Customer(s):
United States Army
Contract value:
$4.4B
Deliverables:
2,559 vehicles in 10 different configurations (Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Anti-tank Guided Missile, Mortar Carrier, Command Vehicle, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Engineer Squad Vehicle Medical Evacuation, Fire Support Vehicle, NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle, and Mobile Gun System) full logistics support to include spare parts.
Key dates:
November 16, 2000Contract awarded
April 19, 2001Work begins
February 28, 20021st delivery from GM Defense in London, Ontario
April 12, 20021st delivery vehicles from GDLS in Anniston, Alabama
July 26, 20021st delivery of pre-production Stryker Mobile Gun System
February 03, 2003First Unit Equipped Ft. Lewis Washington
December 03, 2003First Unit Deployed in Iraq
January 12, 2005 1000th Vehicle Acceptance; Anniston, Alabama
Prime contractor:
GM GDLS Defense Group, LLC (a *General Dynamics Land Systems Joint Venture company)
* The Joint Venture was acquired by General Dynamics Land Systems (name retained).
Team members:
General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan
General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, London, Ontario
Challenges/Key Performance Parameters:
- C-130 air transport
- Interoperable with C4ISR suite
- Carry a nine soldier infantry (ICV) or squad (ESV) and equipment (actual troop numbers unique to each vehicle configuration)
- MGS primary armament defeats infantry bunker and penetrates a reinforced wall
Awards:
| Dollars In Millions | ||
| 2001 | EMD | $205 |
| FY 01 Brigade No. 1 – 466 Strykers | $761 | |
| I&KPT | $1 | |
| NET Training | $15 | |
| Total 2001 | $982 | |
| 2002 | FY 02 Brigade No. 2 – 303 Strykers | $443 |
| Contractor Support to Government Test | $45 | |
| ICLS | $30 | |
| Fly-A-Way Spares | $7 | |
| Total 2002 | $525 | |
| 2003 | FY 03 Brigade No. 3 – 301 Strykers | $315 |
| ICLS Deployment Phase I, II & III | $36.4 | |
| RWS Repair Facility at the Auburn Warehouse | $1 | |
| Other | $4 | |
| Total 2003 | $356.4 | |
| 2004 | FY 04 Brigade No. 4 – 328 Strykers | $445.4 |
| FY 05 NBCRV (17 vehicles) | $45.2 | |
| FY 05 MGS (14 vehicles) | $59.9 | |
| ICLS | $153.9 | |
| Spares | $53.9 | |
| FY 05 Brigade No 5 (Initial 64 vehicles) | $100.8 | |
| Total 2004 | $859.1 | |
| 2005 | FY 05 Brigade No. 5 (Top Off 423 vehicles) | $583 |
| FY 05 MGS (58 vehicles) | $175.3 | |
| FY 05 Special Top Off (99 Vehicles) | $138.4 | |
| Total 2005 | $896.7 | |
| Grand Total 2001 – 2005 | $3619.2 | |
Army Transformation:
In October 1999, Army Chief of Staff General Eric K. Shinseki announced the Army’s intention to transform into a more strategically responsive force that could more rapidly deploy and effectively operate in all types of military operations, whether small-scale contingencies or major theater wars.
Army plans call for a 30-year transformation that provide the ability to deploy a brigade anywhere in the world within 96 hours, a division in 120 hours, and five divisions within 30 days.
The first step in this process is to form and equip six Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) by 2008, with the goal of organizing, equipping, training, and certifying the first such brigade for overseas deployment by 2003. This goal was achieved and the first Stryker Brigade was deployed in Iraq in December 2003.
Military deployments have increased dramatically in number and variety since the end of the Cold War. Recent deployments in such places as Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and East Timor span the full spectrum of military conflict.
These deployments highlight a critical shortfall in the Army’s operational capability: the Army’s heavy combat forces, though lethal and survivable, are not rapidly deployable, and its light infantry forces are rapidly deployable but lack survivability and lethality. The SBCT was devised to fill this gap in military capability.
Stryker Brigade Combat Teams:
Though optimized for Small Scale Contingencies (SSCs), the SBCT is designed to engage in all types of military conflicts, including Major Regional Conflicts (MRC) when augmented or when operating as part of a larger force.
The SBCT’s capabilities differ significantly from those found in traditional divisional brigades. The SBCT relies on advanced Command, Control, Computer, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems purchased from commercial or government sources that enable the brigade personnel to “see” the entire battlefield and react before engaging the enemy.
Its all weather intelligence and surveillance capabilities, together with its digitized systems, enable it to maintain 24-hour operations.
In order to achieve decisive action while operating in various types of terrain, including urban settings, the SBCT possesses a combined arms capability at the company level, rather than at the battalion level.
Designed to achieve decisive action through dismounted assault, companies support themselves with enhanced organic direct fires from their vehicle-mounted primary weapon systems as well as indirect fire support from mortars and artillery.
This combined arms capability is reinforced by a training program that develop soldiers with a wider range of skills and leaders who can adapt to many different kinds of conflict situations.
The SBCTs will also provide insights for future transformation. The SBCTs will be used to develop, test, and validate new doctrine and organizational structures as well as new combat training and leadership development concepts for the Objective Force, the final step in Army Transformation.
The Stryker Combat Vehicle:
The Army is equipping the seven SBCTs with the Stryker armored wheeled combat vehicle. The Stryker is the Army’s highest priority production combat vehicle program.
As the SBCTs’ primary combat and combat support platform, the Stryker is the centerpiece of the ongoing phase of Army Transformation. Significantly lighter and more transportable than existing tanks and armored vehicles, the Stryker fulfills an immediate requirement to equip a strategically deployable (C-17/C-5) and operationally deployable (C-130) brigade capable of rapid movement anywhere on the globe in a combat ready configuration.
The Stryker comprises two variants - the Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS). The ICV has eight additional configurations: Reconnaissance Vehicle (RV),
Mortar Carrier (MC), Commanders Vehicle (CV), Fire Support Vehicle (FSV), Engineer Squad Vehicle (ESV), Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV), Anti-tank Guided Missile Vehicle (ATGM), and NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV).
A total of 2,548 Strykers will be fielded to the seven SBCTs and training base. Eight configurations are in production now, the first systems having been delivered in February 2002. The MGS and NBCRV are in development and will be delivered beginning in 2005.
The Stryker is designed to enable the SBCT to maneuver more easily in close and urban terrain, while providing protection in open terrain. Performance highlights include C-130 transportability; internetted C4ISR capability; integral all around 14.5mm armor protection and 152mm artillery airburst protection (upgradeable to Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) protection with add-on armor); self-deployment and self-recovery capability; reduced vehicle acoustic signature; ability to carry a nine-man infantry or engineer squad; and bunker and wall breaching capability.
These performance highlights provide a force that will move rapidly as a cohesive combined arms combat team, a capability not currently in the Army inventory. These attributes make the Stryker the Army’s first true system-of-systems and enable the SBCT’s unique organic combined arms capability.
Additionally, and just as important, the Stryker family of vehicles stresses performance and commonality that will reduce the logistics footprint and minimize sustainment costs.
The 19-ton Stryker is powered by the same engine used in the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and can reach speeds in excess of 60 mph with a range exceeding 300 miles on 53 gallons of fuel.
Program Urgency:
Terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. and subsequent military deployments further amplify the urgent national defense requirement for the Stryker-equipped SBCTs.
To meet this urgent need, the Army has accelerated Stryker fielding to provide the National Command Authority with a Contingency Force prepared for immediate combat deployment.
Stryker is currently serving in Iraq as part of the 1/25 Infantry Brigade. Additionally numerous allied nations and U.S. government agencies have inquired about purchasing Stryker vehicles.
The Army has fully resourced the Stryker program by redirecting resources from, or in some cases canceling, other combat vehicle programs.
Additionally, the Army has reprioritized Government Furnished Equipment to fully support the Stryker program and fielding of the SBCTs. Development, testing, and fielding are proceeding concurrently in order to further shorten fielding timelines.
Program Background:
On November 16, 2000 the Defense Acquisition Executive approved the program to: enter Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Mortar Carrier, Commander’s Vehicle, Engineering Squad Vehicle, Medical Evacuation Vehicle and Anti Tank Guided Missile Vehicle for quantities of up to 968; enter into EMD for the Mobile Gun System (MGS), Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) and NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV); use/field “in-lieu-of” systems for the MGS, FSV and NBCRV until these systems enter production; procure IAV associated Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Associated Support Items of Equipment (ASIOE); develop the TOW warhead for anti-materiel missions.
The Army awarded the IAV Contract to General Motors/General Dynamics Land Systems Defense Group Limited Liability Company (GM/GDLS) on November 16, 2000. United Defense Limited Partnership (UDLP) filed a protest with the General Accounting Office (GAO) on December 4, 2000 to gain an impartial and thorough examination of the source selection process for the Army’s IAV program award.
The Contracting Officer issued a stop work order on December 5, 2000. On April 9, 2001, the GAO notified UDLP and the Army of its decision to deny UDLP’s protest. The GAO’s written decision was released on May 2, 2001, and the first Stryker was delivered to the US Army on February 28, 2002.
Program Status:
IAVs are manufactured at the GDLS facility in London, Ontario, Canada with additional production operations at the Lima Army Tank Plant, Lima, OH (upper hull) and Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, AL (final assembly). Caterpillar, Peoria, IL supplies engines and Allison, Indianapolis, IN supplies transmissions.
A total of 2,548 vehicles will field seven SBCTs, Operational Ready Floats, and training base requirements. The Army has completed fielding Strykers to 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (1st SBCT), the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division, and the 172 Infantry Brigade (3rd SBCT).
It is currently preparing to field to the 2ACR at Ft. Lewis, WA (4th SBCT). Ultimately, the Army will field three SBCTs in Washington State, one in Alaska, one in Hawaii, and one National Guard brigade in Pennsylvania at the rate of one per year.
