Aussie Digger said:
Where did you get this info from? At the NZ Minister for Defence sie, a Q/A exists stating that the LAVIII CAN be carried aboard NZ's C-130H's, without ANY significant disassembly. All that needs to be done if for the central suspension/tyre inflation system to be lowered to it's minimum setting. It can then be driven on or off as needed. Trials have been conducted already...
The ADF LAVIII, and the RAAF's C-130's, must be totally different from what we have here, cause our LAV's barely fit and our Herks can barely operate them.
The Stryker needs a waiver from the Air Force to be carried on a C-130. The waiver is necessary because the vehicle is too wide to accommodate the 14-inch safety aisle around all sides that is required by the Air Force for the loadmaster (that is for a Stryker without the slat armor, with the slat armor in place it just does not fit at all). The infantry carrier variant requires multiple alterations to fit into a C-130 (note that our Strykers only have a RWS, we do not have turreted Strykers). Additionally, due to it's weight, only a portion of the Stryker crew may fly in the same aircraft--you need two C130's to carry one LAV and one crew. Both the M113 and the MTVL can be carried with a full combat load and full crew on the C-130 without the waiver required to carry a Stryker with a partial crew and only 4 of its 11 men. Even an empty LAV-III is 1,000 pounds over the C-130's short field landing airstrip 16-ton limit. Never mind the reduced range of the 130 when lifting the LAV.
This is from the USAR itself:
Q: For each Stryker variant, what actions (e.g. removal of parts, etc.) must be taken to prepare for air transport?
A: To prepare the Stryker for air transport, soldiers use the Height Management System (HMS) to reduce vehicle height and meet axle weight restrictions. Variants w/ remote weapon station must fold the RWS down*. Load plans identify mission equipment that is to be restowed or removed to meet weight requirements. ICV preparation for air transport includes: ½ tank of fuel, and remove antennae, 3rd road wheel bump stop, left rear water can mount, exterior soldier equipment, upper M6 grenade launchers, wire cutter, and RWS ammo can.
Q: What is meant by “capable of immediate combat operations”?
A: "Capable of immediate combat operations" does not imply Stryker would exit a C-130 with weapons firing, but rather the intent is to land and place the vehicle into operation, allowing a squad to immediately begin performing doctrinally assigned tasks. This was successfully validated in MC02. Within 15 minutes (on average) of exiting the aircraft, the vehicle must be able to transmit data and safely transport soldiers to the battlefield. Restoration times have been developed for each variant.
That above is the "official word" and to support it, the USAR/USAF ran a test for the public in 2003 to demonstrate the transportability of the Stryker in a 130. It was really nice and well done, and the crew did the 15 minute reassembly just in time.
Except it has since been found to have been a fraudulent demonstration. The Stryker was fully stripped, and almost empty of fuel, the crew had trained for weeks to perform the show, the LAV had no ammo or troop equipment on board, and in order to carry that skeleton force (LAV + 4 crewmen) the 130 barely had the range to go from Andrews AFB to Pope AFB.
*This is our little RWS with a .50 cal. as main wep. If we fielded a turret with a 25mm, I can't imagine how that is folded down!!!
