Army support vehicle swims

Courtesy Photo | An M973 Small Unit Support Vehicle climbs out of the water on the western shore of Engineer Lake after floating across the more than 700 feet at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, July 26. The Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division successfully tested the amphibious capability of the SUSV for the first time in 10 years. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Stefan Lockton, BTB operations officer)  

FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, UNITED STATES

08.07.2013

Story by Maj. David Mattox 

1st Brigade, 11th Airborne Division

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - The Small Unit Support Vehicle outlived its maintenance contract in Alaska, but the more than 30-year-old vehicle continues to prove itself as a reliable asset, providing Arctic-based soldiers with a viable solution to the harsh weather and difficult terrain of Alaska.

Engineer soldiers with the Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division maintain their readiness and comprehensive fitness by challenging their soldiers and their equipment.

Soldiers of the BTB continue to maintain their fleet of vehicles using spare parts.

“Since repair parts are no longer made as a result of the SUSV not being an Army system of record, we are doing the best we can with what we currently have,” said Maj. Stefan Lockton, BTB operations officer.

Soldiers have operated in the Arctic since before the ALCAN Highway cut through Alaska. Since the first soldier attempted to traverse the challenging landscape here, they longed for a vehicle as versatile, resilient and reliable as the SUSV.

“The SUSV is the most capable vehicle that the Army has for off-road, all terrain and all weather,” said Dusty Finley, U.S. Army Alaska Force Management Division.

The SUSV proved itself yet again July 26, as BTB soldiers tested the SUSV’s ability to swim by driving one of their vehicles across more than 700 feet of Fort Wainwright’s Engineer Lake.

Just as it was designed to do so long ago, the SUSV remained a float across the open lake, making it not only a superb cold-weather climbing vehicle but an amphibious one at that.

The turbo charged, five-cylinder Mercedes diesel engine of the SUSV chugged along as the vehicle floated across the water with its four-man crew.

The SUSV was designed to be air-droppable and able to operate in almost any condition. Its insulation and heating system allow the crew to ride comfortably in extreme cold or heat, while the long and thin rubber tracks act like snowshoes, preventing the SUSV from sinking into even powdery snow or the muskeg marsh in Alaska. The SUSV was also built with a bilge pump and the amphibious ability to travel in and out of water.

“It has been 10 years since anyone in USARAK has tested the SUSV’s amphibious ability,” said Lockton.

During the amphibious test of the SUSV there were many safety personnel and equipment on site in case something should go wrong and the vehicle was unable to float, requiring the four-man crew to be rescued.

“We did this to validate the capability of the SUSV,” said Lockton.

There proved little need for the safety crews, as the SUSV experienced no issues doing what it was made to do, move over any terrain in any condition.

The SUSV was first brought into the Army inventory in 1982 as the M973 SUSV. Since its inception, there hasn’t been any better Arctic vehicle and there are no definite plans to build one, according to Finley.

“It is still in employment by (Northern Warfare Training Center), other units within USARAK and support elements. It has been used in support of Army operations as well as civilian support operations,” said Lockton.

There are more than 50 SUSVs in operation at Fort Wainwright, supporting units in all seasons and in a variety of Arctic terrain.

“The SUSVs easily float over mud, muskeg, water, and marshy wet lands,” said Lt. Col. Mick Braun, BTB commander. “These vehicles are well suited for the terrain and conditions of an Arctic environment.”

Though the vehicle has been around for 30 years, it has not outlived its use. Units stationed at Fort Wainwright use these vehicles to support training operations throughout the year. The units appreciate the ability of the SUSV to traverse the muskeg and snow, as well as climb 70-degree embankments while carrying soldiers and equipment.

Wait until these units realize that the SUSV can also swim.

• Date Taken: 08.07.2013
• Date Posted: 08.07.2013 20:56
• Story ID: 111537
• Location: FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, US
• Hometown: FAIRBANKS, AK, US
• Hometown: FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, US
• Hometown: NORTH POLE, AK, US
• Hometown: WASHINGTON CITY, DC, US