Stryker vehicle.

• Author: Goure, Daniel
• Position: Readers forum - Letter to the Editor

Roxana Tiron's article on the success of the Stryker medium-weight combat vehicle program ("Army Puts the Stryker on a Fast Track," July 2003) documents the successful development of this much-maligned program. Srtyker has met all the challenges it confronted, making changes and improvements to the system when necessary We are now at the point that among the major concerns still before the system, according to the author, is providing squad leaders with keyboards for their digital displays.

Not only is Stryker a technical and operational success, it is a vital part of Army transformation. The continuing challenge posed lay stability and support operations and the ongoing war on terrorism, creates new demands for lightweight, wheeled vehicles that can operate in urban setting, mountainous terrain and dense foliage. Equally important is the growing requirement for medium-weight mobile, combined arms threes with lots of infantry. With approximately 50 percent of the active Army now engaged ill peacekeeping missions from Afghanistan and Iraq to Bosnia mad Liberia, the role for Stryker...