National Guard, states want more Strykers

The Stryker is a highly-maneuverable combat and transport vehicle designed for warfare in a variety of environments, including urban warfare.

Lt. Gen. Steven Blum wants more Stryker brigades for the U.S. National Guard he commands, adding a powerful voice to the chorus of states — including Alabama, California, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada and Oregon — that want more of the 20-ton, eight-wheeled armored combat vehicles.

“If the Army would identify a requirement for additional Stryker units in the Army National Guard, we would welcome that dramatically,” Blum told members of Congress on April 20. “It offers protection and see-more, know-more and act-faster kind of capabilities. I would love to have had a Stryker brigade in Katrina,” referring to the disaster response in the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Army plans to have one $1.2 billion Stryker brigade in the National Guard and six in the active-duty ranks, but that could change if Strykers are added to the Guard, say Army officials. The Guard has a $13.1 billion equipment shortfall, Blum said.

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