Sen. Portman urges committee to continue funding Stryker vehicle modernization

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) recently led a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) urging the continuation of funding for modernizing Stryker A1 Vehicles in the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

The funding would provide Stryker Brigades with the most recent Stryker A1 vehicles, which include survivability improvements to the vehicle hull and other mobility and communication improvements.

The FY2018 Appropriations Bill, which became law last month, provided $348 million to complete the fourth Brigade set of modernized Stryker vehicles. The Army’s proposed budget for FY2019 did not include the funding needed to continue producing the vehicles, which the lawmakers wrote is the Army’s most versatile and deployable combat vehicle.

“For the past three years, Congress has consistently provided funding for production of the Stryker A1 vehicle as a major improvement of the legacy fleet, even when the Army did not include funding in its budget request,” the senators wrote. “This funding should continue.”

The senators said in the letter that the funding would provide soldiers with a more capable vehicle across the force. “Moreover, it will provide a much improved baseline vehicle from which the Army will be able to evolve the Stryker with new innovations, such as enhanced lethality with anti-tank missiles and a much more powerful 30mm cannon, as well as crucially needed expanded missions such as a short-range air defense capability for both Armored Brigades and other ground force units,” the letter said.

In addition to Portman, the lawmakers who signed the letter include: U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Angus King (I-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Doug Jones (D-AL).