Stryker

Air Force buys U.S. Army-type Stryker vehicle

By CHairforce.com

In a May 9 news article, Ann Roosevelt of Defense Daily said the Air Force now owns its own General Dynamics’ Stryker vehicles. She said the vehicles will be used to transport Tactical Attack Control Party (TACP) personnel embedded with Army’s Stryker brigades.

According to Roosevelt, "Five Strykers were handed over at ceremonies May 4 at Ft. Polk, La., where the TACP unit is training with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) in a full scale exercise similar to the Air Force’s Red Flag, involving opposing enemy forces -- a preparation for future deployment to Iraq."

She said Air Force TACP units previously traveled with the Stryker Brigade Combat Teams in up-armored HUMVEES, which couldn’t move as fast as the Strykers.

"Army and Air Force leaders agreed to put TACP personnel that support a Stryker [Brigade Combat Team] into a Stryker vehicle versus their HUMVEE-based system," she wrote. "General Dynamics has provided the Army with five production Commander’s Vehicle Stryker variants."

Also in the article, Eric Emerton, Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command spokesman, said each BCT will have five TACP-configured Strykers.

"The Air Force TACP is a liaison between the ground and air forces," said Roosevelt. "The unit can help do a number of missions such as reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and close air support as well as communicate with unmanned aerial vehicles."

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