US Army to outfit 64 Stryker vehicles with new network capability

Over the coming weeks the US Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment will begin outfitting 64 Stryker double v-hull vehicles inside Germany with a package of network technologies included under the service's Capability Set (CS) 21 Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) umbrella, according to service officials.

The army plans to roll out ITN capabilities in two-year increments – CS21, CS23, and CS25 – and plans to wait until the 2023 iteration (CS23) to provide soldiers inside Stryker formations with the ability to operate over the Secure But Unclassified (SBU) enclave while transitioning between mounted and dismounted operations. In preparation, though, it is testing out different networking technology configurations available on these vehicles and hosted a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland on 30 June.

“We're taking what we've learned in the infantry brigades, as far as the value of multiple ways to connect and the way to move data, both from an unclassified enclave over to a classified enclave for a unified common operating picture, and moving that over onto a combat platform,” Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) Brigadier General Robert Collins said during the event. This common operating picture would include vehicle and dismounted soldiers locations, and enable dismounted soldiers to pinpoint locations of interest.

US Army soldiers emerge from Stryker vehicles during an ITN demo at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on 30 June. (US Army )