By I wouldn’t mind one day seeing the US ground combat presence in Korea being nothing more than Stryker units rotating into South Korea for exercises with the ROK Army:
Tactical vehicles commonly seen in Afghanistan and Iraq made a rare appearance at a live-fire exercise just 10 miles from the Demilitarized Zone on Monday, but officials were quick to say the Strykers were not brought here in response to recent hostilities between the two Koreas.
“There’s always been a commitment toward the (South Korean) forces here and, whether it’s a Strkyer platform or another kind of unit, this is just one of those things we will exercise on a habitual basis,” said Col. Ross Davidson, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade.
The four Stryker vehicles and soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment based in Fort Lewis, Wash., were brought to South Korea as part of the annual Foal Eagle/Key Resolve exercise that started last week. For about 90 minutes, they simulated the seizing of terrain from an enemy. And while the sound of munitions that echoed throughout the valley might not have been loud enough to reach the DMZ, leaders from the North are sure to get reports about the event courtesy of the 100 media members who were in attendance. [Stars & Stripes]
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1:13 am on March 8th, 2011 1
It's a rather elegant looking truck!
6:31 am on March 8th, 2011 2
Not when it has been gutted by an IED.
8:44 am on March 8th, 2011 3
Well even my Chevy would look bad if somebody blew it up…
And some of those IEDs have taken out tanks…
I just think the Stryker looks a lot more like fun compared to an M114…
9:40 am on March 8th, 2011 4
Pimp my Stryker APC. Add an M2 CROWS and some slat armor.
11:53 am on March 8th, 2011 5
Ammo for the ma deuce is kinda pricey; but I understand the utility factor…
7:50 pm on March 8th, 2011 6
A T-55 could one-shot this thing… I am sure the Norks are quaking in their boots.
10:30 pm on March 8th, 2011 7
Strykers aren't designed to stand up and fight any heavy tanks haha. Their designed to get a group of soldiers into or out of an area quickly and over rough / unimproved terrain. The weaponry is just there for infantry and light vehicles, the armor only designed to hold off low-caliber weapons. I think .50 cal is about the biggest thing a Stryker can hold up again, maybe a single RPG hit at the most.
Contrast that to a M1 Abrahms tank which is more or less indestructible to any ground force our enemies have. Its two weakness's are its lightly armored read (engine sits back there, good way to kill a tank) and zero armored underbelly. That is why IED's are so effective, timed right they can be made to cut right through the middle belly and kill the crew.