The US Army has now ordered 269 upgunned Strykers from an Oshkosh Defense team. (Janes/US Army)
The US Army is providing Oshkosh Defense with USD130 million to outfit an additional 95 Stryker Double-V Hull Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICVVA1) with a 30 mm cannon.
The company announced the new Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) order on 13 July and said the service has ordered a total of 269 upgraded vehicles valued at USD356 million. In total, these incremental buys will outfit three Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) and provide the service with 20 vehicles for additional testing, according to Oshkosh Defense.
However, this deal could be worth up to USD942 million if the army decides to provide six SBCTs with the upgunned capability.
In June 2021 the army selected an Oshkosh Defense, Rafael, and Pratt Miller team (the latter of which Oshkosh acquired) to upgun DVHA1 Stryker vehicles. As part of the programme, the army is providing the team with the vehicles and Northrop Grumman's XM813 Bushmaster Chain Gun. The team then provides a turret – one ‘based' on Rafael's Samson family of turrets but ‘customised' for the army – and integrates it onto the vehicle along with the cannon.
“The lightweight Oshkosh MCWS includes a dual-feed ammunition handling system with hidden reload and a flexible architecture to accommodate future technology growth,” a company spokesperson told Janes in June 2021. “These features will allow the MCWS to achieve increased lethality and maintain mobility without any significant change to the logistics, maintenance, or operation of the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle.”
In July 2021 Janes
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