http://www.strategypage.com/the_war_in_iraq/weapons/20054520.asp
....One example -- Over the last six months, one Stryker, C21, has been
hit by a suicide car bomb, 9 IEDs, 8 RPG direct hits, and countless
small arms. The Infantry squad has had 6 wounded but every soldier is
still in Iraq and still fighting on a daily basis. After each attack,
the Stryker continued to stay in the fight or was repaired in less than
48 hours.
Not only is the Stryker survivable, it is incredibly reliable. Our 75
Strykers each have at least 20,000 miles on them. We average over 1,000
miles a month on each Stryker and amazingly we average greater than 96%
Operational Readiness rate. That is 3-4 Strykers down at any given time.
This is the highest operational readiness rate of any armored vehicle in
the Army inventory. We average less than 24 hours to refit a vehicle
after it has received battle damage. The electronic computers, monitors,
mapping software, weapons cameras and radios that give us incredible
situational awareness average greater than a 94% operational readiness
rate.
Much like every other weapon system the Army has fielded it will
continue to get modified and better with time. Remember, we are on the
fifth major modification of the M1 tank. These are the irrefutable facts
without emotion.
Now, let me share with you some emotion. I have watched this vehicle
save my soldiers lives and enable them to kill our nation's enemies. In
urban combat there is no better vehicle for delivering a squad of
infantryman to close with and destroy the enemy. It is fast, quiet,
incredibly survivable, reliable, lethal, and capable of providing
amazing situational awareness. These qualities distinguish it from every
other platform in the Army inventory but most importantly it delivers
the most valuable weapon on the battlefield - a soldier.
Do not just take my word on the Stryker, ask one of the 700 soldiers in
this Battalion which vehicle they want to go to combat in.
MICHAEL E. KURILLA,
Lieutenant Colonel
1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (Stryker Brigade Combat Team)
MOSUL, IRAQ
--
Fred Stone
aa# 1369
"You know you're over the target when you start receiving flak."
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