US Soldiers to train with Stryker Dragoon IFV armored 1180817

August 2017 Global Defence & Security Industry - Military - Army News
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Defense & Security News - United States

U.S. Soldiers to train with new 30mm Stryker Dragoon IFV in Germany
U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment recently traveled from Germany to Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of a six-week test and training event on the new Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle, which is nicknamed "Dragoon" after the unit.
     
U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment recently traveled from Germany to Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of a six-week test and training event on the new Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle, which is nicknamed "Dragoon" after the unit.A Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon fires 30 mm rounds during a live-fire demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Aug. 16, 2017.
     
The Soldiers also tested the new CROWS-J system, a common remote-operated weapons station that allows troops to fire Javelin anti-tank guided missiles from the safety inside existing Stryker models.

Six Stryker vehicles from each 30 mm cannon and Javelin variant are slated to head to Germany this January, where more 2nd Cavalry Soldiers will be able to share their input. The Army hopes to field the combat vehicles in a forward location next summer when the regiment's 1st Squadron is expected to go to Poland, Dean added.

This U.S. regiment requested more firepower for its 81 Stryker ICVs due to the recent military operations of Russia, which has shown hostility in parts of Eastern Europe.

The acquisition of the 30 mm cannon-equipped Stryker, which began in the fall of 2015, was a relatively quick process. It took about 15 months from the receipt of funds to the delivery of ICV-D prototypes, said Maj. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer for the Army's ground combat systems.
     
U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment recently traveled from Germany to Aberdeen Proving Ground as part of a six-week test and training event on the new Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle, which is nicknamed "Dragoon" after the unit.Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Young, senior NCO of the Army's Stryker combat vehicle program, discusses the 30 mm cannon on the new Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon vehicle during a media day at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Aug. 16, 2017
     
The Dragoon vehicles also incorporated equipment from other Stryker variants, such as a mature turret that didn't require much software development and a mature chassis with a suspension that was already proven by the Stryker double-v hull program.

During the recent 30 mm cannon testing at Aberdeen, Soldiers saw a vast improvement in accuracy compared to the .50-caliber machine gun, which is mounted on many Stryker vehicles.

The first upgraded Stryker, designated XM1296 "Dragoon", was delivered for testing on 27 October 2016. The vehicle is fitted with a Kongsberg Protech Systems' Medium Caliber Remote Weapons Station armed with an Orbital ATK XM813 30mm cannon variant of the Mk44 Bushmaster.

The cannon is able to fire airburst rounds that explode above a target to hit people hiding behind walls and can enable it to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles. The cannon is fed by two magazines holding armor piercing and high explosive ammunition, each carrying 78 rounds, with another 264 rounds stored in the hull.

The remote turret has required a modification of the hull roof, and adds an additional two tons of weight that may lead to upgrading the suspension. The cannon increases the ICV's lethality against other light armor vehicles while preserving its wheeled mobility advantages.