U.S. Army Plans 20 More Stryker DVH A1 Vehicles Despite Earlier Procurement Stop.

The U.S. Army ordered 20 additional Stryker Double V-Hull A1 vehicles for $49.3 million, extending procurement beyond its previously planned stop. The decision continues DVH A1 acquisitions despite the Army’s earlier intention to end purchases in 2025.

General Dynamics Land Systems received a $49.3 million contract modification for 20 additional Stryker Double V-Hull A1 vehicles, extending U.S. Army procurement beyond the service’s previously announced plan to stop buying the configuration in 2025. The order keeps production of the DVH A1 variant active and adds further vehicles to the Army’s Stryker fleet under an acquisition effort that had been expected to end.

Related News: U.S. Army Reinforces Stryker Brigades with Additional Double V-Hull A1 Combat Vehicles

The Stryker is a key component of the U.S Army (Picture source: General Dynamics)

The Stryker Armored Personnel Carrier is the cornerstone of the U.S. Army’s mechanized infantry forces, with over 4000 vehicles in service. The Double V-Hull A1 configuration emerged to protect the crew and the passengers from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) encountered during U.S. military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan by introducing a pronounced V-shaped structure beneath the vehicle that redirects blast pressure outward instead of upward into the troop compartment.

Observations from the war in Ukraine and other modern conflicts indicate that such upgrades are of great use on the battlefield. Armored vehicles now face persistent threats from loitering munitions, first-person-view drones, artillery fragmentation, and precision-guided indirect fire systems, and the Stryker’s hull configuration allows it to shield the crew from such threats without compromising its speed and maneuverability, greatly increasing soldiers’ survivability.

Other modernizations of the DVH A1 improve upon the chassis to meet current U.S. Army requirements for networked warfare, improved digital architecture and onboard electrical power, mobile command-and-control operations, and integrated air defense. These new characteristics allow for the introduction of new variants such as the Infantry Carrier Vehicle Dragoon, armed with a 30mm cannon, and the Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) configuration, developed to counter drones, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft.

Despite the U.S. Army previously calling for a stop on future DVH A1 procurement a year ago under the Army Transformation Initiative, Congress subsequently provided $230 million for additional vehicles to complete a sixth Stryker brigade, which Army Recognition already covered. This new modification brings the total value of the change to $278,947,722 from the original $2.48 billion contract with General Dynamics. The estimated completion date is December 31, 2028.

This new Stryker brigade will replace a heavier armored formation built around the M1A2 Abrams tank and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, highlighting the U.S. Army’s modernization efforts emphasizing mobility and a lighter logistical footprint, as well as evolving operational requirements demanding increased preparedness and responsiveness as the possibility of deploying mechanized land formations in the Pacific region is a growing strategic concern.

The continued modernization of the platform and increased procurement of the Stryker showcases the U.S. Army’s needs for a resilient, maneuverable, and sustainable Armored Personnel Carrier, while supporting the U.S. armored vehicle industrial base at a time when manufacturing capacity has become a major strategic concern for Washington.

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