Posted on 02/02/2006 2:41:42 AM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI received a $24.5 million contract for spare parts that are unique to the two newest Stryker variants: the M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) and the M1135 Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV). This contract funds procurement of initial unique spares for the first-time fielding of these two variants, and has a total potential value of $50 million if all options are exercised.
So, how does this fit into the evolution of the USA's Stryker vehicle family, and future production plans?
The Stryker MGS and NBCRV variants entered low-rate initial production (LRIP) in December 2005. General Dynamics will deliver 17 of the Stryker NBC Reconnaissance Version and 72 of the Mobile Gun Sysytem variants during low-rate initial production. The vehicles will be used for various tests and user evaluations through Q4 2007, and the Milestone C decision to begin full-rate production of both variants is also slated for the fourth quarter of 2007.
The M1128 Stryker MGS variant is meant as a direct-fire infantry assault vehicle with a 105mm cannon mounted in a low-profile, fully stabilized, "shoot-on-the-move" turret. It's intended to provide firepower support for Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, primarily for engaging hardened positions but also for dealing with enemy vehicles as required. It will also be used by the Canadian Armed forces.
Stryker MGS has had a rocky development history, with widespread reports of problems with the recoil of its gun and center of gravity. DID's photo up top would even appear to indicate a support bracket for firing tests, though a specific inquiry to General Dynamics Land Systems, we received this response:
As you can see from the photo the recoil is not a problem firing the gun for the vehicle.... in the past critics have made the claim that you could not fire over the side but the photo proves you can. What you identified in the red box is the instrumentation cables used to manual fire the gun and collect data. Other photos show the same cables as well.
Recoil was not an issue it was the pepper-pot muzzle break on the earlier vehicles that was used to let gas escape and lesson the recoil. When we lowered the gun turret to allow loading in C-130 Hercules the gas from firing was too close to the vehicles front end. We returned to a standard 105mm cannon without the pepper pot muzzle break and adjusted for the recoil in the mechanism.
The M1135 Stryker NBCRV, meanwhile, provides the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade Combat Teams with the Department of Defense's newest nuclear, biological and chemical detection equipment in a Stryker chassis. The core of the NBC RV is its on-board integrated NBC sensor suite and integrated meteorological system. An NBC positive overpressure system that minimizes cross-contamination of samples and detection instruments, provides crew protection, and allows extended operations at MOPP 0 (i.e. without protective clothing for its occupants).
The MGS and NBCRV have a high level commonality with the rest of the 310 Strykers that comprise a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, easing the unit's training and logistics burden. The Army is slated to have six Stryker Brigade Combat Teams by 2008, and some of them have already served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, MI (73%), London Ontario, Canada (15%), Tallahassee, FL (10%), and Scranton, PA (2%), and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2007. This was a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 9, 2003 by the Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (DAAE07-02-C-B001). See also corporate release.
Where are the M8 AGSs that were suppose to be sent to Iraq?
Probably still sitting in York.
ping
Stryker ATGM
BTT
That's TOW right?
We are currantly gearing up for production for the light weight, low profile gunmount seen in the photo's, at our facility.
Yep.
So does the low-ranked man in the crew have to hop out and deploy those anti-rollover jacks, if you have to fire your MGS Stryker with the turret at 90 degrees?
Maybe it's just me, but this old grunt likes to be able to throw a lot of lead downrange. Maybe one with a couple of coax mounted 7.62 mini-guns.....
L
I'd sure like to see those other pics, that show that those are "cable runs", by the way.
Hellfire
America! F*** YEAH!
Well, a multi- Ground Launch Hellfire [AKA Brimstone in the vehicle-launched role] missile shooter would be a Godsend to infantry units without their own other dedicated AT vehicle assets.
Consider a 2,500m/s missile that rides a laser beam to a target up to 10km away, with near- fire and forget performance, the possibility of multiple launch/ multiple engagement and a high rate of fire [4-6 missiles away before reload] without wire guidance subject to WP countermeasures and hard to interfere with in flight with dazzlers or jamming or direct attack (the front of the missile could consist of solid penetrator so a laser beam would do very little to stop it- and would itself act as a kinetic energy *shot round* against other lightly armoured vehicles, APCs and MICVs)
Better yet: if it could also serve as a battalion-level air defense vehicle, better suited than replacing the Javelin gunner in the open hatch of a Stryker with a Stinger missile operator- the most probable target being a hovering or oncoming attack helo with visions of Stryker kills dancing in the gunner's head.
Likewise, that Canadian 25mm gun version [awfully reminiscent of a Marine LAV, though the LAV/25mm has an amphibious capability] is interesting, though a 30mm upgrade will likely be in the future, just as Ivan and his Ukranian cousins are moving away from 23mm guns for their APCs to 30mm.
The real winner of the US Stryker series looks to be that M1135 Stryker NBC Recon Vehicle, a very suitable replacement for the 6-wheel M93A1 Fox NBC recon vehicle that at least offers automotive parts compatability with the other Stryker vehicles. However, the M93A1 Fox was amphibious-capable, and the new Stryker-based M1135 is not.
When we come to a river now, we stop- unless heavy lift helos are available. Maybe the old Fox vehicles can go to the Louisiana NationalGuard in the event of another Hurricane Katrina-type disaster.
I've observed a Central American WWII-era built M8 armored car [6-wheeler, Mogas engine] fitted with the power turret and quad .50s of an M55 mount, more usually found fitted in the back of an M16A1 halftrack or duece-and-a-half truck. At the time they were also reworking their M20 versions [and old WWII M3A1 and M5A1 light tanks] fitted with a single-shot 37mm AT gun, for replacements with 20mm autocannons. I imagine the possibility of a 25mm Chain Gun is do-able, but their Escuadron de Caballeria seemed to think that the 20mm guns were quite an improvement.
Maybe it's just me, but this old grunt likes to be able to throw a lot of lead downrange. Maybe one with a couple of coax mounted 7.62 mini-guns.....
L
Dillon Aero boss Mike Dillon, whose company rebuilds and reworks M134 miniguns for the U.S. military and other customers, had [and may still have!] an old quad .50 mount with a single M134 replacing all those .50s. For any thin-skinned targets less than an armored vehicle, that allows the minigun to carry ammunition WAY in excess of that most mounts could handle [usually just the 3000-round aircraft ammo can] But I'm sure Mike could set his up with twin guns very easily if he was so inclined.
Of course, there's always Jon Ciener's triple minigun setup...
Not if the back door is chained shut, as was said to be the SOP for the crew of the Stryker that rolled over into an Iraqi canal, drowning the crewmen inside.
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