Train like you fight? Not for this Stryker outfit

The U.S. Army has already stated it is suffering in the area of training and readiness resourcing.

It doesn't help when you don't even do operationally representative training.

Take a look at these recent photos of a Joint Base Lewis-McCord Stryker outfit at the national training center (1 photo shown below). The rest of the images to the right of the photo at the link.

What is missing from these photos?

(The 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, continue their training at Fort Irwin National Training Center, Calif., during Decisive Action Training Rotation 14-03, Jan. 22, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Alan B. Owens/Released)

Answer? The Mel Gibson Road Warrior cage used to reduce damage against RPG rounds. More on Stryker survivability here.

The cage weighs many tons on an already overweight design. Which would in-turn add to Stryker maintenance problems as you get heavier.

Many years ago the cage armor on the Stryker was a last-minute plan before deploying them to Iraq. Someone remembered that every enemy the U.S. Army has faced in the last (then 40 years) had some kind of MANPAT HEAT round.

The for-show cage armor was rejected many years before the Stryker when looking at M-113 ideas to reduce damage against RPGs.

(The ayatollah of rock and rolla)

H/T- Stryker subject-matter-expert: Blacktail