From Asgard to Nidavellir: A journey Into Thor’s Workshop

[Talyn]

In Norse mythology, Nidalvellir was one of the nine realms inhabited by the gods. It was home to the greatest craftsmen, who were known for their magnificent creations for the gods. It was a place where mighty weapons were forged, including an unsinkable ship and Mjollnir, or Thor’s Hammer.

From Asgard to Nidavellir: A journey Into Thor's Workshop • The Havok Journal

In Norse mythology, Nidalvellir was one of the nine realms inhabited by the gods. It was home to the greatest craftsmen, who were known for their I traveled to Alabama to the Anniston National Army Depot to see the final assembly of the M-1126 Stryker family of vehicles; a vehicle the lives of...

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The Anniston National Army Depot does the final assembly of a version of Thor’s hammer, the M-1126 Stryker family of vehicles.

 

[Cedric]

Shinseki's folly. The author mentions that the Stryker was an interim vehicle, not to be confused with intermediate. It was an interim vehicle to fill the gap until the FCS, or Future Combat System was developed and fielded which never happened. Other points:

- I don't remember a drive off against the Bradley. There was one with the latest version of the M113 that I do remember, and only by squeezing the Stryker into a very narrow set of criteria did it essentially tie the M113. And of course, the M113 was available, logistically supportable, and could have been quickly modified to withstand IEDs. Regardless, we still spent hundreds of millions (billions?) on Strykers, MRAPs and the like.
- Its armor protection is OK considering its role. However, I was on BTR-80s for about four months and its frontal armor is thicker than the Stryker's and is just as mobile. The Stryker's optics and thermals are better.
- I don't know what airfield in Albania he's talking about. We used the Intermediate Logistics Base in Tazsar Hungary, crossed from Croatia over the Sava River into Bosnia and established our airfield near Tuzla at an old Yugoslav airbase. Civilian and USAF personnel followed on the heels of the combat units and got the base up and running in short order. In 1998 the first civilian wide bodied airliner landed with reinforcing personnel.
- There was no shortage of heavy, medium, and light combat equipment. We had M1A1, Bradleys, 113s etc., Turks had M60 series (I can't recall the exact model), the Danes had Leopard 1A5s, and the Russian Airborne Brigade used typical ground forces equipment such as BTR-80s and trucks.
- The C-17 can carry four Strykers or three Bradleys. In terms of number of vehicles, the Stryker wins this contest, but in terms of firepower and staying power the Bradley wins.

Sorry, but I just can't see how this "interim" vehicle has hung around this long. The Armored Gun System based on the Stryker chassis has already been terminated. Perhaps Stryker is better suited for plussing up the National Guard for border duty. I think they are going to need them.

 

[Talyn]

As not really a competitor to the Bradley, the Strykers are/were intended to be a light wheeled transport since the M113 was at the end of its useful life, and have been proven more survivable than the M-113s, as per the incident described in the article.

They've been improved over the years.