“Shadow 200” UAVs. (See Organization
chart and Personnel and Key Equipment
Chart).
There are 121 personnel in the HHC and
brigade staff The headquarters supports the
brigade commander in directing the
subordinate units in peace and war. It is
organized into a command group and seven
sections-intelligence, training, command
and control, air movement, fire control,
nonlethal weapons employment,
communications and computers. The HHC
supports the brigade staff. It has two groups
of liaison officers and five sections:
command, personnel, support, signal and
medical.
The mechanized infantry battalions have
691 personnel each. They are the primary
combat units of the brigade, capable of
conducting all types of combat as well as
peace-support missions. Each battalion has
a headquarters, a HHC and three
mechanized infantry companies.
The HHC has a reconnaissance, mortar
and medical platoon as well as a sniper
squad. The reconnaissance platoon is
mounted on four reconnaissance Strykers.
The mortar platoon has four M286 120mm
and four M224 60mm mortars.
Every mechanized infantry company has
three mechanized infantry platoons and a
fire support platoon with a mortar and a
sniper section. The mechanized infantry
platoon has four Stryker vehicles and three
“Javelin” ATGM launchers. The fire
support platoon has three Mobile Gun
System Stryker vehicles and its mortar
section has two M286 120mm and two M224
60mm mortars.
The cavalry squadron (reconnaissance,
surveillance and targeting battalion) has
428 personnel to support the commander
and brigade units with intelligence,
targeting combined arms fires and assessing
the results in near-real time. The battalion
is organized into a headquarters, HHC,
three reconnaissance troops and a one
electronic surveillance troop.
Each reconnaissance troop has three
reconnaissance platoons, each of which is
mounted on four reconnaissance Strykers
each with “Javelin” ATGM launcher. Each
platoon also has a mortar section with two
120mm M286mm mortars.
The electronic surveillance troop has a
headquarters and three platoons: a UAV
platoon with the “Shadow 200” launcher
and three aircraft; a ground sensor platoon
with four GSR radar and a NBC
reconnaissance platoon mounted on three
Fox Stryker vehicles.
The artillery battalion has 290 personnel
for fire support to the brigade elements. It
has a headquarters, an HHB and two
artillery batteries as well as a target
acquisition platoon.
Each artillery battery has two firing
platoons, each platoon having three M198
155mm towed howitzers. The target
acquisition platoon has the Q-36 and Q-37
radar.
The brigade support battalion has 338
personnel with a headquarters and three
companies; an HHC and distribution, a
maintenance and a medical.
The antitank company consists of 53
personnel who destroy armored vehicles and
enemy strong points. The company has three
antitank platoons and three sections —
headquarters, fire direction and medical.
Each antitank platoon has three TOW-2
launchers mounted on Stryker vehicles.
The military intelligence company has 67
personnel that conduct reconnaissance,
gather data and analyze it for the brigade.
The company has a command group and two
platoons. Each platoon is responsible for a
separate brigade axis.
The engineer company has 120 personnel
to support the brigade. It has a headquarters
and three engineer-sapper platoons and an
engineer support platoon. Beside
engineering equipment, the company has
four “Javelin” ATGM launchers.
The signal company has 74 personnel
and supports the brigade commander, staff
and brigade elements with various signal
support. It has a headquarters, two signal
platoons and a support platoon.
The main organization difference in the
TOE structure of the Stryker brigade is that
it has replaced all the heavily- armored
tracked vehicles (the M1 Abrams tank, the
M2 and M3 Bradley Fighting and
reconnaissance vehicles, and the Paladin
M109A6 self-propelled howitzer) with the
wheeled armored LA V-III vehicle, the
Stryker, and the towed M198 howitzer. The
weight of each of these systems does not
exceed 19 tons.
The Stryker is based on the Canadian
LAV-III “Kodiak” and is named in honor of
two US soldiers, Stewart and Robert Strykerwho
were noted for their service in World
War II and Vietnam. The Stryker Brigade
has two primary types of Stryker-LA V-III
troop carriers and LA V-III Mobile Gun
Systems. Other specialized Stryker vehicles
are equipped for reconnaissance, command,
engineering support, artillery spotting, NBC
reconnaissance and medical evacuation as
well as mortar carriers and anti-tank
vehicles.
Despite its lack of M1 Abrams tanks and
M2 and M3 Bradleys, American military
specialists do not consider that the Stryker
brigade is any less effective than the US
heavy brigades. The mechanized rifle
companies have the minimum essential fire
power due to their organic platoons of
Mobile Gun Systems armed with a 105mm
cannon plus their mortar sections and a
sniper groups.
The brigade’s ability to conduct
reconnaissance and command subordinate
units is greatly enhanced by the inclusion
of an organic cavalry squadron and an MI
company. These units have the “Shadow
200” UAV system and a command and
control computerized information system
which is under development.
The Brigade’s TO&E was determined and
the precise dimensions of the equipment was
designed in order to fit in all models of US
transportation aviation, including the C-130
“Hercules.” This significantly enhances the
mobility of the brigade. According to
American experts, the unit and its equipment
can be moved from the American continent
to any region of the world within 96 hours.
The most apparent weakness of a mobile
unit is its inadequate combat power for
penetrating a prepared defense. Second, is
its high vulnerability to artillery fire and
anti-tank systems during combat with a wellarmed
opponent. The US Army Senior
Command feels that these weaknesses can
be offset by aviation support from the USAF,
USN and coalition air forces. In addition,
the brigade can be reinforced with tanks,
artillery, air defense systems and army
aviation from division or corps. According
to American experts, the real assessment of
the Stryker brigade’s combat potential will
come only after it has fulfilled its mission
to stabilize Iraq. One brigade has been
stationed in Iraq since January 2004.
The military leadership of the U.S. plans
to field four more active-duty Stryker
brigades by 2009. They will be the 1st
Brigade, 25th Light Infantry Division (Fort
Lewis, Washington), the 172nd Separate
Infantry Brigade (Fort Wainwright,
Alaska), the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment
(Fort Polk, Louisiana) and 2nd Brigade,
25th Light Infantry Division (Schofield
Barracks, Hawaii). There will be another