Analysis of Stryker brigade combat team strategic sealift deployment options

Abstract

Projecting a credible land combat power to a potential conflict area in a timely manner requires rapid strategic sealift mobility with high capacity. A highly deployable, light, yet sufficiently lethal force capable of deterrence or sustaining combat is necessary to accomplish this objective. The Army's initial steps towards transformation seek to establish that ability. This transformation requires having lighter forces with quicker deployment times, thereby turning the Army from the Legacy Force, made up of both well-equipped heavy war fighting forces which are difficult to deploy strategically, and rapidly responding light forces which lack staying power against heavy mechanized forces, into an Interim Force of Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT). The SBCT combines the capacity for rapid deployment with survivability and tactical mobility. The Army's objective is to deploy the Stryker Brigade Combat Team, a brigade-sized force equipped with medium weight armored vehicles, anywhere in the world within 96 hours (Vick, 2002). This thesis determines the mix of sealift assets best suited for different scenarios that differ by distance and port accessibility as well as analyzes the implications of these findings on Army deployment doctrine. This is accomplished in two ways. First, two specific scenarios are used to develop the initial requirements and best mix of assets for SBCT deployment based on a fictional Kosovo campaign. Additionally, a preliminary analysis is conducted of the three feasible configuration options. The options are (1) TSVs only, (2) LMSRs only or (3) a combination of the two. These three options are compared using fixed cargo requirements and their performance versus cost is analyzed based on the Kosovo campaign distances.