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Senators, representatives get Stryker update

Army News Service

Release Date: 6/23/2003

By Joe Burlas June 23, 2003

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 23, 2003) -- When conditions are just right, the Stryker Infantry Carrier and its variants meet the Army's requirement of being able to be transported 1,000 miles via C-130 aircraft, Army officials recently told members of Congress and their staffers.

Soldiers representing the Army's first Stryker Brigade Combat Team -- 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. -- and Transformation efforts from Department of the Army staff briefed members of the Senate and House of Representatives Army Caucuses about the SBCT on Capital Hill June 19.

Addressing the strategic mobility C-130 requirement which has been questioned by members of the media and of Congress, Maj. Gen. Jim Grazioplene, director of G8's Force Development office, said it depends on a number of variables. Those variables include the time of day the aircraft flies, the type and condition of the airfields the C-130 takes off and lands on, the altitude of both airfields, barometric pressure and prevailing wind conditions.

The Initial Operational Capability evaluation for the Stryker Brigade conducted at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., and Fort Polk, La., proved that C-130s can move Strykers the required distance, said Brig. Gen. William Brandenburg, deputy commanding general for Training and Readiness at I Corps, Fort Lewis. That evaluation also tested rail, ship and self-movement transportation modes in moving the brigade from Fort Irwin to Fort Polk.

Brandenburg said the IOC evaluation demonstrated that the Stryker vehicle was "quick, quiet and lethal."

The Stryker is more survivable than the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier in that its linked and digitized Army Battlefield Communication System and its internal reconnaissance resources allows soldiers to see and act first, Brandenburg said. Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee told caucus attendees the initial Stryker protection specifications called for its armor to withstand a 7.63-mm round, but it has been improved to provide protection to up to a 14.5-mm round.

For Lt. Col. Rob Choppa, who just left command of the Stryker Brigade's 2nd Battalion to become the brigade's deputy commander, the Stryker allowed his soldiers to arrive on the battlefield in a more rested condition than the M113s he was in charge of as an infantry platoon leader 20 years ago.

"The 113 is a much rougher ride and has a very limited communication package," Choppa said. "It is less lethal and less survivable than the Stryker."

A senate staffer asked the most junior member of the Army delegation, Spc. Paul Coale, 1/23rd Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade, to give his opinion of the Stryker. While admitting to having no experience with the M113, Coale said he liked the speed of the Stryker and how quick it gets into action.

It takes between five and 10 minutes for a Stryker to be offloaded and configured for combat depending on what type of variant it is, Brandenburg said. He compared that to an airdropped High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle which takes 15-20 minutes to derig and prepare.

While the Stryker may be the centerpiece of the Stryker Brigade, there is much more to the brigade, Brandenburg said. He pointed out that the brigade has received more than 70 new pieces of equipment its soldiers had to train on in the past year in addition to exploring new ways of doing business. And the brigade is about growing leaders for the Army's future Objective Force, Brandenburg said.

SBCTs are designed to be an early-entry force that can be quickly deployed with more lethality, mobility and survivability than is available to airborne and other light infantry forces that have traditionally comprised the Army's early-entry force. While not designed to stand up and duke it out with heavy forces in open rolling terrain, Brandenburg said an SBCT would hold its own against heavy forces in more closed terrain such as urban areas. He also said an SBCT can be augmented with armor and heavy infantry units as the mission requires.

Asked about pictures of damaged Strykers that have been circulating the Internet, Brandenburg admitted that four Strykers experienced rollovers during the IOC evaluation -- two mortar carriers and two reconnaissance vehicles.

"In each case, they were new variants that the drivers did not have a lot of experience with and they were operating at night with zero illumination in difficult terrain," Brandenburg said. "Thankfully there were no injuries beyond a few bruises. We've done some additional driver's training, made commanders aware of the problem and have not had an incident since."

A second SBCT - 1st Brigade, 25th ID - is standing up at Fort Lewis and has received most of its vehicles. It is scheduled to undergo an IOC evaluation next May.

The Army plans to convert a total of six light infantry brigades into SBCTs -- including one in the National Guard.

Until Congress receives and approves an SBCT Operational Capability evaluation, the Army is limited to procuring no more than three SBCTs.