Article Posted on : - Jul 14, 2010

Stryker infantry combat vehicle.

STERLING HEIGHTS (BNS): General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has received a $30 million contract from US Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command for the production of a new double-V-shaped hull for the Stryker infantry combat vehicle.

The increased blast protection provided by the double-V-shaped hull will make the vehicle one of the most versatile, mobile and survivable vehicles on the battlefield and will provide more protection and survivability to soldiers.

“Soldiers and Marines attending our War-fighter’s forum earlier this year said their Stryker vehicles have performed superbly in Iraq and Afghanistan because of their speed, agility, stability and off-road capability,” Gordon Stein, senior director for the General Dynamics Land Systems Stryker programme, said in a company news release.

“The double-V hull can easily be integrated into all variants of the Stryker,” he added.

The 21-tonne Stryker is an eight-wheeled combat vehicle that is lighter, smaller and more readily deployable than any other US Army combat vehicles. It has a speed in excess of 60 mph and a range exceeding 300 miles on 53 gallons of fuel.

The vehicles are designed in 10 different configurations: Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Anti-tank Guided Missile, Mortar Carrier, Command Vehicle, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Engineer Squad Vehicle, Medical Evacuation Vehicle, Fire Support Vehicle, NBC Recon and Mobile Gun System.

The vehicle is transported by C-130 military transport aircraft, with 14.5-mm basic armour protection.

US Army will receive the first delivery of the combat vehicle by January 2011 and the complete delivery of the vehicle will be done by February 2012. The production of the vehicles will be done at General dynamics Anniston, Alaska, London, and Ontario.