Inside Defense
Feb. 19, 2010 -- The Army is considering a new plan to add a v-shaped hull to its Stryker vehicle fleet to provide improved protection against blasts from roadside bombs, an initiative that is being weighed as part of a package of accelerated modifications that could be acted on quickly, according to service officials.
Specifically, the Army is weighing a proposal to modify the current flat underside of the eight-wheeled combat vehicle with a “double-v-shaped hull” to give the Stryker vehicle a level of protection against improvised explosive devices comparable to that of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, according to sources familiar with the concept.
“There is a study under way looking for what survivability increases can we do for the vehicle,” said an Army official who said the assessment includes a concept for “a double-v hull.”
While the Army is conducting a routine recalibration of its long-term plans to modify and upgrade the Stryker fleet, the service is simultaneously looking at options for expediting things that might immediately improve troop safety.
“This is an exceptionally accelerated approach and if it can be done, the Army is interested,” said a second service official. The aim of the assessment is to determine “what could be incorporated rapidly to affect current combat operations,” the official added.
Modifications being considered include those that reflect lessons learned not only during operations in Iraq but also by the Stryker brigade currently fighting in Afghanistan, sources said.
Army leaders are still being briefed on the concept, which has yet to be presented to the Pentagon's acquisition executive, who has oversight of Stryker acquisition decisions.
The double-v-shaped hull would require a number of modifications to the Stryker, including a new suspension capable of lowering the vehicle for improved stability during off-road operations, a more powerful engine to accommodate the increased weight and wider tires. Other modifications being considered include blast protection kits for the vehicle’s interior and a reinforced driver's capsule.
The Army has requested $445 million for Stryker modifications in the fiscal year 2011 war cost spending bill; additional funding would be required for modifications to the hull, a source familiar with the concept said.
Should Army leaders elect to push ahead with such Stryker modifications, a number of issues would have to be addressed, including when to cut into the current production line -- which is cranking out combat vehicles at the rate of roughly 35 a month -- and exactly when these vehicles might be shipped to Afghanistan. -- Jason Sherman
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