“Bradley” has been the main and still indispensable BMP of the American army for 40 years.

The USA and Germany announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which will include American M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. According to currently available information, Ukraine will receive 50 of these armored vehicles.

Although in the scope of the Russian-Ukrainian war, it is difficult to call the additional fifty BMPs a significant number, the machine itself is an important point. “Bradley” is a relatively modern infantry fighting vehicle, which is significantly superior to its predecessor M113, previously delivered to Ukraine in the amount of about 400 units.

Bradley infantry fighting vehicle: general information

The M2 Bradley is an infantry fighting vehicle developed in the USA in the late 1970s to replace the M113 armored personnel carrier, which was already obsolete at that time.

When creating this machine, the Americans took into account the experience of using the Soviet BMP-1 in several wars and focused on the German Marder. Previously, the USA did not have its own BMPs, only armored personnel carriers. And to this day, “Bradley” remains in fact the only full-fledged BMP in service with the American army.

BMP “Bradley” was adopted by the US Army in 1981. In the period from 1980 to 1989, the American industry produced about 9,800 machines, which subsequently underwent several stages of modernization. The Americans actively used these BMPs during two campaigns in Iraq, as well as in Afghanistan.

Technical characteristics of the M2 Bradley

The American “Bradley” has a classic BMP layout: the engine and transmission are in front, the landing compartment is in the rear. The crew consists of three people. Most versions of this machine can accommodate up to six infantrymen in the landing compartment, but the M2A3 version is designed for seven paratroopers.

The body of the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is welded, made of aluminum armor plates. Some modifications have combined armoring of the frontal part and sides – an external steel screen, an armored body made of aluminum and polyurethane foam between them. The bottom is reinforced with an additional steel plate to protect against mines.

The nominal thickness of the armor is 25 mm in the frontal projection and 14 mm in the sides. However, in practice, it is difficult to talk about nominal values, since the M2 Bradley can be equipped with various types of external screens, including blocks of dynamic protection against cumulative shells.

The Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle is equipped with a 25mm Bushmaster cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun, a TOW rocket launcher and six fixed 5.56mm machine guns in amphibious embrasures.

Advantages and disadvantages of BMP Bradley

Before the appearance of the M2 Bradley, the Americans had their own BMP, but the positive experience of using Soviet infantry fighting vehicles in small conflicts of the 1960s and 1970s forced the Americans to create the same machine for the needs of their army.

Since “Bradley” appeared relatively late, it already took into account all the advantages and disadvantages of the Soviet BMP-1. The Americans got not just their “analogue”, but a machine of the next technological generation, surpassing not only the “penny”, but also its BMP-2 contemporaneous.

Even Russian experts admit that Soviet machines are far inferior to Bradley in terms of combat effectiveness, since the “American” was originally designed to destroy Soviet armored vehicles. The “Bradley” has both a more powerful gun and better armor.

It should be mentioned here that during the war with Saddam’s Iraq, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles knocked out more Iraqi tanks than the same famous Abrams, which are not even promised to Ukraine yet.

However, it should be remembered that “Bradley” is a car created in the 70s, and morally it began to age already 20 years ago. There are opinions that the “American” can hardly compete in a direct duel against the Russian BMP-3, especially in its “killer” modifications. However, the Russians have very few such cars.

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk in America about the need to transfer the army to a new generation of BMPs, and US military corporations are trying to develop their concepts to offer to their Pentagon.

It is interesting that with the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, American arms manufacturers hastily rushed to make amendments to their projects of new BMP, focusing on the experience of the ongoing war.

Since “Bradley” went through many modifications, it is not clear which version Ukraine will receive. Most likely, it will be the M2A3 – the so-called “digital” BMP, equipped with the latest American military equipment.

Characteristics of the M2 Bradley in the M2A3 version:

• Weight: 30 tons;
• Engine: 500 hp
• Maximum speed: 66 km/h on the highway (40 km/h off-road, 7.2 km/h on water);
• Highway range: 480 km;
• Crew: 3 people + 7 landing people;
• Main armament: 25-mm automatic gun Bushmeister;
• Auxiliary weapons: 2 PU anti-tank guns, one 7.62-mm machine gun and 6 embrasure 5.56-mm machine guns.