Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 1st and 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Teams conducted a week-long series of live-fire exercises, both day and night, at the Yakima Training Center, using 8×8 Stryker Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) fitted with an experimental 30mm automatic cannon system. Based on the images released, the system was identified as the Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) developed by Oshkosh Defense.
The training was carried out in a fully operational environment and integrated operational network connectivity (OPNET) along with the Digital Range Training System. This allowed crews to employ Instrumented Playback Units (IPUs) inside the vehicles to record, analyze, and improve their performance during both offensive and defensive scenarios.
“We are only the second infantry brigade to train with the 30mm weapon system mounted on the Stryker,” explained U.S. Army Captain Jarid Prahl, assistant operations officer of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. “It has also been a unique experience to be on the front line of the Army’s modernization initiatives, helping to advance the force and change the way we will fight in the future.”
Integration of digital systems and live fire
The exercise was led by First Lieutenant Derrick Eng, who served as the officer in charge of the 30mm live-fire training. Eng coordinated vehicle movements, the assignment of digital systems, and communications on the range to ensure that each crew fully leveraged the experimental platform and its supporting technologies.
“It is a complex system that requires very precise synchronization,” Eng noted. “Seeing crews qualify and adapt to a completely new weapons platform while integrating digital tools demonstrates how quickly soldiers can learn and perform when they have the right resources.”
Unlike traditional mounted systems, the 30mm cannon introduces greater operational demands, requiring crews to integrate sensors, optics, and fire-control software without losing situational awareness inside the vehicle. During the exercises, commanders and gunners relied on digital displays and real-time feedback to assess positioning, track target effects, and adjust fire based on terrain and movement.
OPNET connectivity enabled continuous data exchange between the vehicles and range infrastructure, facilitating decision-making without affecting the execution of maneuvers.
Objective performance evaluation
The digital training system recorded engagements, movements, and execution times on each firing lane. Through the IPUs, soldiers were able to compare their actions against established standards, identifying communication breakdowns, delays, or positioning errors. Immediate data review between iterations allowed adjustments to be made within the same training cycle.
Commanders highlighted that these digital tools provided more objective evaluations during gunnery tables, as crews could replay engagements, verify hits, and understand how decisions made inside the vehicle influenced outcomes.
Private Nicolas Taylor, an infantryman from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, emphasized the system’s versatility during the live-fire exercise. “This system brings a level of complexity and capability that we didn’t have before,” he stated. “The 30mm cannon offers great versatility, from airburst ammunition to high-explosive rounds, and with the training we are receiving, you can see just how efficient and effective it can be.”
First Lieutenant Catherine Ortiz, Taylor’s platoon leader, also praised the personnel’s performance during the training. “They worked hard to learn these new vehicles, and that effort paid off,” she said. “Seeing crews adapt to a new Stryker, even while fatigued, and maintain a high level of performance is exactly what we expect from an infantry unit.”
Advancing Army modernization
The combination of live fire, experimental equipment, and data-driven training tools is part of the U.S. Army’s broader modernization efforts. Early adoption of the 30mm cannon system on the 8×8 Stryker aims to prepare units for future operational requirements and expand their understanding of combat vehicle lethality.
“It’s always rewarding to get out and do infantry tasks as a battalion,” Captain Prahl concluded. “It has been a real pleasure to enable our crews to do exactly what they joined the U.S. Army to do.”
Images sourced from the U.S. Army.
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