The award follows a congressional allocation of $230 million for additional Strykers to equip the 6th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The funding was included in the fiscal 2026 budget package under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The earlier reduction in Stryker procurement was linked to the Army Transformation Initiative introduced after Pete Hegseth became defense secretary. The latest order keeps the DVH A1 production line active while the Army adjusts its force structure and equipment priorities.
The 6th Stryker Brigade Combat Team will replace an armored and mechanized formation equipped with M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The change reflects the Army’s focus on mobility, lower logistical demands and potential force deployments across the Pacific region.
More than 4,000 Strykers remain in frontline service, forming the core of the Army’s motorized formations. The DVH A1 configuration was introduced to improve protection against improvised explosive devices used extensively during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The vehicle’s V-shaped hull directs blast energy away from the crew compartment rather than upward into it. The design provides additional protection for both the crew and dismounted personnel carried inside.
The DVH A1 family includes the M1251A1 fire-support vehicle, M1252A1 mortar carrier, M1253A1 tank destroyer and M1254A1 medical evacuation vehicle. Other variants include the M1255A1 command vehicle, M1256A1 armored personnel carrier, M1257A1 engineer vehicle and M1265A1 Sgt. Stout gun-and-missile air defense system.
