From TOC to Stryker command vehicle - Stryker Update - tactical operations center - Brief Article

MEDICS are driving a bigger, faster vehicle. Engineers are able to shoot mine-clearing line charges to detonate mine fields. And the infantry can fit 11 soldiers into a vehicle that travels 60 mph.

So it's no wonder the command vehicle for the SBCT provides capabilities never before available in the Army, said MAJ Chuck Hodges, an operations officer for the SBCT at Fort Lewis, Wash.

"It's a nice asset," said vehicle commander SGT Jimmy Rogers. "It bridges the gap between heavy mechanized forces and the light infantry."

The commander's vehicle can track just about anything on the battlefield with its video display terminal, Rogers said. Red icons appear on the screen when the enemy is nearby, and an automated voice also alerts the commander of danger.

Blue icons depict friendly forces, which the operations officer can see. He can identify the units by clicking on their icons with a hand-held pointer.

The command variant of the Stryker allows the commander to control events away from the tactical operations center, Hodges said.

And while the CV can carry 36,133 pounds of equipment, it's not reduced to a snail's pace during battle. In tests, it traveled 150 feet in 9 seconds, and can reach speeds up to 60 mph.

"It's quick, agile and quiet," Rogers said. "This thing operates even better on urban terrain and can go places a tank can't."

"Compared to the vehicle I drove when I was stationed in Germany, this vehicle can cross mountainous terrain very easily," added CV driver SPC Mario Marcelle.

In addition, a .50-caliber machine gun is mounted on the CV's top, and a grenade launcher can be added as well.

"It's a great vehicle," Marcelle said. "Even though I'm still training with it, I know it's the best thing in the Army."

MAJ Chuck Hodges (at left) looks at his video terminal display as a soldier computes incoming information.

The commander's vehicle--one of eight Stryker variants--allows the commander to control events away from the tactical operations center.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Soldiers Magazine
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group