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Cooling Off Strykers
June 7, 2005: The U.S. Army's new Stryker armored vehicle has gotten a lot of pad press ("costs too much," "doesn't work," "unsafe," Etc.) But the troops like it, although that isn't considered newsworthy. Troops who served with mechanized infantry units, and used the M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, like the fact that Stryker is faster, quieter and requires less maintenance. Troops who have traveled around Iraq in hummers, even armored ones, like the greater degree of protection provided by Stryker. The biggest enemy in Iraq is not enemy firepower, but the heat. As a result, the troops like to travel with their heads and shoulders out of the open hatches. While providing a cool breeze, this also exposes them to enemy fire (roadside bombs, RPGs, bullets). To add additional protection, troops have put sandbags around the hatches, securing them with rope or wire. But enough sandbags (especially when laid down two rows deep) adds additional weight that can cause the wheel hubs to break. So the troops are encouraged to use 10mm metal plates instead. The driver, unfortunately, is stuck inside. Air conditioning the Strykers is an option. It costs about $90,000 a vehicle, and is done for command vehicles (because of all the extra electronics they carry) and ambulances. But for the regular combat versions, it's not worth it, particularly when you want some of the troops keeping their heads out of the hatches to watch out for trouble. Posted by: Steve 2005-06-07 |
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