Publication ID: Nr. 3050

STRYKER

Interim Armored Vehicle

The Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) family was introduced to fill a US Army capability gap for a rapidly deployable armoured combat vehicle that required minimal logistical support and featured state-of-the-art technology. For this purpose, a new type of troop formation was created that did not exist before, namely the so-called “Medium Force”. This was to close the capability gap between light infantry units and heavy tank brigades.

For the first time this publication grants an overview over all Stryker variants, from its ICV basic model up to the most recent additions to the family.

Publication ID: Nr. 5098

German-British Amphibious Engineer Battalion 130

On 30 September 2021, the reorganisation ceremony of the German Panzerpionierbataillon 130, the British 23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron and the 3rd, 4th and 5th Companies of schweres Pionierbataillon 901 took place in glorious sunshine. The German-British Amphibious Engineer Battalion 130 had been created.

The main weapon systems of the DEU-GBR battalion are the Improved Ribbon Bridge / Faltschwimmbrücke (FSB 2), which is used by heavy armoured wheeled and tracked vehicles, as well as light tactical vehicles, for water obstacle crossings, either as a floating bridge or attached to a ferry; and the Amphibian M3 Schwimmschnellbrücke (SSB) high-speed floating bridge that is the result of further development of the M2 Alligator bridge and ferry vehicle. The combination of the twin capabilities of a land and water vehicle is the key performance feature here.

This publication tells the story of the German-British unit in great detail and supported by impressive exercise photos of all its vehicles.

Publication ID: Nr. 9040

Iron Hammer 88

Divisional Training Exercise of the 3rd (BR) Armoured Division "The Iron Division"

The General Defence Plan of I (BR) Corps towards the end of the Cold War envisaged deploying the 1st and 4th (BR) Armoured Divisions on the forward edge of defence and keeping the 3rd (BR) Armoured Division with its three brigades (4th, 6th and 33rd Armoured Brigades) back as a reserve. Against this background, the British manoeuvre Iron Hammer, as the last of NATO’s Autumn Forge manoeuvre series in Germany, took place in the autumn of 1988. The total number of troops participating in Iron Hammer 88 was approximately 25,300, including 1,600 Territorial Army soldiers from the United Kingdom, who were in the field with 275 main battle tanks, 2,000 tracked vehicles, 4,000 wheeled vehicles and 75 helicopters. For field testing, FV4030/4 Challenger 1 Mk 2 tanks of one squadron of the 17th/21st Lancers were each fitted with auxiliary fuel drums at the rear of the tank hull. For the first time at the divisional level, the new mechanised infantry fighting vehicle, the FV510 ISV Warrior, also deployed.

This publication shows the military vehicles of the participating units in dramatic exercise photographs partially in severe winter weather conditions.