Stryker 30mm Program and CROWS J Teaming

Greetings. Today’s article will focus on the new Styker 30mm program and the new teaming with CROWS J… and a bonus picture on how we know what we know.. a small clue was attached for the 1st 15 minutes.

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Introduction to the Stryker 30mm Program

The United States Army is now getting ready to begin fielding its latest Stryker program of record; the 30mm Stryker. However, this is not all. Less widely known and reported is that concurrently with this Program of Record, the Army is pairing it with the CROWS-J upgraded Stryker Program of Record. These two programs along with the earlier reported Network Lethality Program of Record will be the mainstay of the US Army SBCT fleet, with even further upgrades already planned. Let’s have a quick look at what these program of records will do for the US Army;

The Stryker 30mm Upgrade

This effort will basically take and modify the XM 813 cannon, mate it onto a newly designed turret and add a new fire control system. Capabilities for this weapon system and the munitions are in a word; impressive. There will be a significant range and lethal effects increase as well. We are talking about the ability to engage and defeat targets at ranges over two kilometers. We are talking about the ability to conduct DRI (Detect, Recognize and Identify) several kilometers away. What is critical here to note is that the US Army does not design, develop, test against enemy threats that were yesterday, the entirety of the effort is to “future-proof” the force, thus it would be fair to say that the targets are equal to Tier 1 category.

Another benefit of this upgrade is that it affords a backup option in case the new 50mm cannon becomes delayed or terminated for whatever reason, which as of today, it is not, as it is the centerpiece to the future planned Bradley replacement program.

CROWS J Upgrade

Tethered to this 30mm program of record is the Stryker CROWS J upgrade. This basically takes a CROWS II RWS and integrates the entire system with the Javelin, to include all the software, onto a Stryker platform. This effort provides an under-armor anti-tank material solution to the SBCT fleet. Primarily it will allow a Stryker unit the option to defeat all threats encountered, as opposed to merely lesser or equal threats. In addition to this, each Stryker will continue to carry both dismounts and the dismounted version of the Javelin missile.

Future “Spirals” to come and already near completion are also to be allotted to the SBCT MTOE, as well as other formations. These “Spirals” are networked, longer ranged and more lethal than the current and past models in Ukrainian service and found with US and US-aligned forces. These collective upgrades will be further augmented with improved indirect fires and UAS/UGS enablers. Quite a package! Later on, we will see a lot more reporting on this, once FY23 and the final force-on-force tests are conducted by the US Army.

Impacts on the US Army

These modernization efforts will also afford significant options for units and allow for greater accomplishments that are intertwined and found in “manuals and books” {Doctrine} that are the tenants and the core point of the profession of arms.. and only is ridiculed by graduates of the Saddam Hussein School of Military Excellence.