Photo By Brad Rhen | Upgraded double-V hull Strykers sit at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., on Feb. 27, 2005. The...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The first of more than 600 new or upgraded vehicles coming to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team have begun arriving in Pennsylvania.
As part of a program to modernize the 56th SBCT, it is receiving 324 upgraded Stryker vehicles and 300 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles.
The upgraded Strykers, which include a “double-V” hull, are replacing the brigade’s legacy flat-bottom-hull Strykers, and the JLTV’s are replacing the brigade’s soft-skin M1097 HMMWVs, popularly known as “Humvees.”
Col. Christopher Costello, 56th SBCT commander, said the transition from flat-bottom hull to double-V hull design was initiated in response to vulnerabilities against improvised explosive devices during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The double-V hull design deflects explosive forces away from the vehicle, reducing the risk of catastrophic damage and injury to Soldiers inside, Costello said.
“Combat experience in Afghanistan showed that double-V hull Strykers significantly reduced casualties and injury severity compared to flat-bottom hull models,” Costello said. “Soldiers often walked away from IED attacks on double-V hull vehicles or returned to duty quickly, a stark improvement over flat-bottom hull performance where casualties were higher.”
The JLTVs, meanwhile, provide several upgrades over HMMWVs, Costello said.
“The JLTV combines improved protection, mobility and payload capacity while addressing the limitations of the older Humvee in modern combat environments,” Costello said.
At least the first 25 Strykers will come to Fort Indiantown Gap, where they will be used for training, said Col. Jeremy Coleman, Pennsylvania Army National Guard deputy chief of staff for logistics, or G4. All of the JLTVs will come to Fort Indiantown Gap before going out to their units.
It has not yet been determined if the remaining Strykers will also come to Fort Indiantown Gap first or if they will be sent directly to the units.
“This is a great opportunity for the state, 28th Infantry Division and 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team to modernize our legacy equipment,” Coleman said.
The brigade will conduct two iterations of "train-the-trainer" training in March, said Maj. Sean Brown, operations officer for the 56th SBCT. This training will train the brigade’s qualified flat-bottom hull Stryker operators on the differences and nuances of between the two types of Strykers, Brown said.
“Once the train-the-trainer events are complete, these newly qualified Soldiers will then have the responsibility of training the rest of their formations at drills and annual training,” Brown said.
Also in March, the brigade’s maintainers will go through five-day field-level maintenance training where they will learn how to maintain the double-V hull Strykers, Brown said.
Costello said there have been some challenges to implementing this upgrade since several hundred 56th SBCT Soldiers are currently deployed to Africa and Germany. Costello, himself, is deployed to Germany in support of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine mission.
Coleman agreed that there will be some challenges since key personnel from the brigade are currently deployed.
“It will take support from all stakeholders to make this is a successful modernization transition,” Coleman said.
Strykers are eight-wheeled, armored vehicles around which Army Stryker brigades are centered. They come in nine variants, including Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Mortar Carrier Vehicle, Commander’s Vehicle and Medical Evacuation Vehicle.
Depending on the variant, Strykers can carry up to 11 occupants and reach speeds up to 60 mph.
The Army has nine Stryker brigade combat teams: seven in the active component and two in the National Guard.
The 56th SBCT, which is headquartered at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham and has units across the state, was the first Stryker brigade in the reserve component when it was transitioned in 2004.
Because of this modernization program, the brigade will be better prepared for its combat role when called upon in the future, Costello added.
“There will certainly be challenges, but based on the performance of the Soldiers and units during their deployments, I am sure we will be successful,” Costello said. “The level of training required for the deployments also encourages me that despite the focus on fielding so much equipment, the Soldiers, if called upon, would be ready to support civil authorities and/or conduct their war time missions.”
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2025 11:56 |
| Story ID: | 491894 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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