The start of significant modernization efforts for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division (2/4 ID) stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado is underway as they receive the first 34 Stryker Double-V Hull A1 (DVHA1) vehicles. In total 2/4 ID will receive 331 Stryker DVHA1s and the fielding is scheduled to be complete by March of 2021.

"The DVHA1 really forms the basis for the Stryker platform going forward for the next 30 years," said Col. William Venable, the project manager for the Stryker Brigade Combat Team. "The Stryker will be in the formation until 2050, and these improvements will allow the platform to accept future capabilities and upgrades as they come up."

The platform marks an improved version over previous DVH vehicles with improved protection, power, mobility and payload capacity. Specifically, the DVHA1 has significantly more power with integration of a larger 450-horsepower engine, updated power pack thermal management, and additional environmental conditioning. Electrical power generation is also improved with the integration of a larger alternator and smart power management system.

The DVHA1 also keeps an eye toward the future by improving in-vehicle network capabilities and allowing for future growth as the Army’s network develops. The vehicle’s payload capacity is increased via chassis upgrades and improvement as well.

"The DVHA1, as a digitized platform, will be ready to accept the future Army network as it comes on board. This could be capability like Bloodhound or Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS)," said Venable. "It is quite amazing when you remember the Stryker was really meant to be an interim vehicle when it was designed more than 20 years ago. Today’s platform is vastly more capable thanks to the growth margins that we originally built into it."

In 2018 the Army decided to convert (2/4 ID) into a Stryker Brigade Combat Team to bring increased mobility and lethality to the 4th Infantry Division.

The National Military Strategy requires an Army that is rapidly deployable and strategically responsive across the full spectrum of operations. As the primary combat and combat support platform of the SBCT, the Stryker Family of Vehicles fulfills an immediate requirement for a strategically deployable brigade capable of rapid movement worldwide in a combat-ready configuration. The Stryker Family of Vehicles is built on a common chassis, with some variants having different Mission Equipment Packages.