|
More Lethal Stryker Force To Face Near-Peer Adversaries Of Future
by U.S. Army Franklin Fisher, Fort Benning PAO
November 2, 2019
The Army is pressing ahead vigorously with efforts to make its
Stryker Brigade Combat Teams more deadly and otherwise ready to take
on large, modern adversaries on the battlefield, military experts
said on September 10, 2019 during the 2019 Maneuver Warfighter
Conference.
|
September 10, 2019 -
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gary M. Brito, commander Maneuver Center
of Excellence and Fort Benning, delivers opening remarks on
the first day of the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at
McGinnis-Wickam Hall. The Maneuver Warfighter Conference is
an annual event hosted by the Maneuver Center of Excellence
and Fort Benning, Georgia, that gathers senior leaders and
subject matter experts from across the Army, sister services
and from partner nations’ militaries to elaborate upon and
discuss issues relevant to the Army’s Maneuver Force. The
theme of this year’s conference is “The Brigade Combat Team:
Readying for Large Scale Combat.” (U.S. Army photo by Patrick Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning PAO)
|
The Stryker force accounts for nearly a third of the Army’s
Infantry forces, according to several speakers at the day’s
sessions.
Strykers have seen extensive service in the
post-9/11 era, but the Army has seen a need to prepare them for the
battlefield challenges they’d face in combat against near-peer
military adversaries.
“It’s all tied to that mission of
meeting that near-peer competitor,” said Col. Syd Hills, director of
the Stryker Warfighter Forum. Hills was the speaker for a discussion
of what’s ahead for the Army’s Stryker forces.
“Gotta keep up
with the speed of war,” said Hills.
Accordingly, the Army has
undertaken a broad range of initiatives to shape the Stryker force
of the future. Some upgrades involve weapons being added to the
Stryker, including a 30-mm cannon that can train devastating fire on
an enemy. Equipping Strykers with anti-tank missiles is another
example of the push to increase Stryker lethality.
Some
Strykers are equipped with a turreted 30-mm cannon, others with
Javelin anti-tank missiles, and some with mortars, but there are
also numerous Stryker variants that have been adapted to a broad
variety of roles.
|
August 22, 2019 - U.S.
Army 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team unloads their Strykers,
vehicles, and other equipment by rail near Fort Irwin,
California in preparation for National Training Center. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ryan Barwick)
|
In addition, the Army is focused on adding sophisticated
electronics that will enhance the Stryker’s existing ability to
communicate on the battlefield. Also in view are modifications of
the Stryker’s key parts, including such basics as tires, steering
and engines, according to Col. Bill Venable, who gave the audience a
detailed rundown of the Army’s Stryker modernization effort.
Brigade Combat Teams, or BCTs, are the basic deployable fighting
organization under the Army's current structure. A BCT is organized
so it can be sent into combat as a self-sustaining fighting force
that goes into battle with its own support elements, including
artillery, engineer, medical, logistical and other units, rather
than being dependent on a larger element, like a division, for that
support.
There are several types of
BCTs, including those that are predominantly infantry (IBCTs), armor
(ABCTs), and those built around Stryker combat vehicles (SBCTs).
Fort Benning's Maneuver Center of Excellence is hosting the
three-day conference, which runs Sept. 10 through 12. This year's
conference theme is "The Brigade Combat Team: Readying for Large
Scale Combat." The conference brings together senior and other
military professionals for expert discussion of key issues, ideas
and trends related to the Army's infantry and armor forces.
A
Stryker Brigade Combat Team, or SBCT, is a fighting unit built
around a core battle element composed of lightly-armored,
eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicles that can be equipped for
various battlefield functions. The highly mobile Stryker can
transport an infantry squad into battle, and can range over rugged,
cross-country terrain, along roads, and can also operate in urban
areas.
Our Valiant Troops |
Veterans |
Citizens Like Us
U.S. Army Gifts |
U.S. Army
| Army
National Guard |
U.S. Department
of Defense
|
|
