The US Army has taken delivery of the first Stryker double-V hull infantry carrier vehicle (ICVVA1) upgraded with the 30 mm Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) from Oshkosh Defense.
The first of seven vehicles the company is delivering under a June 2021 contract will now undergo production verification testing (PVT) at the Army’s Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Oshkosh Defense is required to deliver the seven vehicles by September 2022, while the PVT is scheduled to be completed by June 2023.
MCWS Strykers are to begin fielding in July 2023, with the I-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State, receiving the first upgraded Strykers.
“Our team leveraged our engineering and manufacturing prowess and deep commitment to customer satisfaction to deliver our first MCWS test vehicle on time, despite the dynamic market forces we have all experienced over the last year,” said Pat Williams, Vice President and General Manager of US Army and US Marine Corps Programs, Oshkosh Defense. “Since the initial contract award, the close collaboration with the US Army has been paramount to achieving this important milestone.”
The US Army selected Oshkosh Defense and partners Pratt Miller Defense and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to integrate the 30 mm MCWS onto the Stryker ICVVA1 in June 2021. Since then, Oshkosh Defense has completed risk management testing (RMT) and received orders for a total of 269 upgraded Strykers valued at $356 million.
The six-year framework contract envisions the production and fielding of the MCWS for up to six Stryker brigades.
The MCWS is a 30mm, unmanned turreted auto-cannon integrated on a Stryker DVHA1 ICV. The service chose Oskosh Defense after awarding five companies contracts for design integration studies (DIS) in 2019 and providing a Stryker double V-Hull A1 ICV and XM813 cannon as government-furnished equipment to contractors in order to facilitate industry design efforts and foster competition.
Stryker MCWS will be capable of transporting nine infantry soldiers and three crewmembers. The integration of XM813 cannon onto a Stryker DVHA1 ICV platform will allow for programmable airburst ammunition compatibility through a dual feed ammunition handling system, improved optics and extended direct-fire range over the current 30mm temporary ONS solution.
“We’re incredibly proud to deliver this transformative solution and look forward to equipping our Soldiers with the precision lethality capability they need.” Williams concluded.
