Stryker Modifications

As many of you know, there was a rather large $400+ million) contract awarded to GD Land Systems back in December for Stryker modifications.  Once the contract was awarded, everyone involved with this program rent radio silent.  Thankfully, it looks like there are some details starting to emerge:

General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI received a $58.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a modified hull design for the US Army’s Stryker vehicles to improve performance and survivability in Afghanistan. 

The Stryker has come under criticism for its performance in Afghanistan since the first Stryker brigade was deployed there in the summer of 2009. The Stryker vehicles have been faulted for their lack of maneuverability on rough terrain and vulnerability to IEDs.

During US Senate testimony earlier this year, Gen. George Casey said that the US Army was planning to modify the Stryker vehicle with a double V-shaped hull designed to deflect IED blasts from below… 

The 5th Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis, WA was the first Stryker unit sent to Afghanistan, deployed in the summer of 2009 as part of a troop level increase. The brigade was equipped with 350 Stryker vehicles. 

The 8×8 wheeled Stryker armored vehicle is the backbone of the US Army’s 7 medium armored brigades, with an 8th on the way. 

In the first few months of deployment, the Stryker brigade lost 21 soldiers, with 40 more wounded, as a result of IED explosions. 

The losses prompted the Army to examine modifications to the Stryker vehicles to make them more resistant to IED explosions. One result is the Stryker hull redesign.

Under the contract, General Dynamics Land Systems will provide design and integration engineering services, test articles/prototypes, and procurement of materials, including long-lead materials, to support the modified hull design with related integrated system changes. The Army says the contract objectives are an integrated solution that will provide improved protection levels to support operations in Afghanistan. 

Work is to be performed in Sterling Heights, MI (41%), and London, Ontario, Canda (59%), with an estimated completion date of Nov 30/11. The Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI manages the contract (W56HZV-07-D-M112).

You can find the original article in its entirety here.