The beginning of January was full of good news regarding the help of Western partners. Every day there is information about the transfer of a new type of weapons, among which there are funds for both defense and attack. It was on January 5 that Ukrainians learned that 50 units of Bradley fighting vehicles are being transferred in the new package of military aid worth more than 3 billion dollars. Let’s consider the details of this combat vehicle, its application scenarios and find out how the Bradley embarrassed the Russians even before its arrival in Ukraine.

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Everything you need to know about the Bradley Fighting Vehicle

The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is the first vehicle of its kind created by the Americans for the needs of their army. The development of BMP began as early as 1964, but the tests of the machine continued until 1981. It was then that the Bradley in its first version began to be supplied to the US Army. At that time, there were no alternatives to the BMP, because it became a replacement for the M113 armored personnel carrier, which, by the way, is already used by Ukrainian soldiers.

According to open data, about 400 units of M113 were transferred to Ukraine and, despite their respectable age, they showed successful operation. Bradley is not inferior to its predecessor, because for 40 years it remains relevant and receives modifications to maintain a reliable reputation.

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Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has combat experience in military operations in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. The operators of this machine are USA, Croatia and Lebanon. An interesting fact in the history of this machine is the statistics of knocked out tanks, because in Iraq, Bradley proved to be better than the well-known Abrams tanks.

Even Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder called the Bradleys “tank destroyers” in a recent briefing and confirmed that these weapons can be used both defensively and offensively. The Pentagon also notes that the training of the soldiers who will lead the BMP will last weeks, not months, and their training will take place in Germany. About 500 soldiers can be trained in approximately 4 weeks, which is enough to form one battalion.

Such publicity in the press was probably not a joke to scare our enemy, because the Russians had already managed to report on the destruction of four Bradley units, although the machines had not yet had time to get to the front. The lies of representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Russia are not surprising, but the reaction of the enemy only shows the excitement before the new Western weapons.

By the way, BMP is named after American General Omar Bradley, who was one of the commanders of the US Army in Europe during World War II. It is symbolic that the machine will be used in Europe and was created during the Cold War, that is, with the aim of destroying the Soviet equipment used by the Russians. Bradley surpasses Soviet analogues both in terms of armor protection and weapon efficiency.

Why Bradley in the M2A2 ODS modification?

Let’s consider the design of the machine in more detail, precisely in that modification that the Pentagon transmits. Bradley M2A2 ODS is a version of the BMP developed by the Americans taking into account their experience in the military operation “Desert Storm”, which took place in 1991 in Iraq.

This version received an upgraded FBCB2 information and control system for data exchange with satellites and other units. Also, the Bradley M2A2 ODS supports the TACNAV navigation system, has improved protection and organization of the landing compartment, which contains 6-7 people. Unlike the basic version, the landing party is placed on benches, from which it is possible to leave the machine faster, has heaters for dry rations and a monitor for displaying pictures from the sights.

The crew of the vehicle consists of the commander of the combat vehicle, the operator-gunner and the driver. In addition to structural improvements and digital solutions, the BMP in this version is equipped with a laser rangefinder with a range of 10 kilometers and a thermal imager for the driver. Such detection means allow effective operation even in the dark, and improved means of communication allow BMP to remain part of a single network connected to satellites.

The commander of the machine has in his hands everything that is needed to control. He sees the whole situation, can coordinate objectives, control units according to the rapid changes in the battlefield. For example, the control of the cannon and the rotation of the turret is carried out with a joystick. The gunner directs fire from all types of BMP weapons: the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster mm cannon, the 7.62 mm machine gun and the TOW ATGM. On the other hand, the BMP has stationary 5.56-mm assault rifles.

A total of eight smoke grenade launchers are installed on the bow of the tower, on four sides of the main armament. The vehicle is also armed with two anti-tank missile launchers mounted to the left of the turret, capable of firing TOW 2 missiles. To penetrate tanks protected by dynamic armor, the TOW 2 is equipped with a tandem warhead. In the M2A2, the Dragon anti-tank missile was replaced by the Javelin, well known to Ukrainians.

The protection of the machine consists of aluminum armor plates, a combination of steel and aluminum, alloyed manganese, chromium, magnesium and zinc, and steel plates are used to protect the lower part of the machine from mines. Additional armor and internal improvements increased the Bradley’s weight from 25 to 33 tons. Instead, the upgraded armor protects the Bradley from 30mm APDS rounds and RPGs (or similar anti-tank weapons).

The engine of the Cummins VTA-903 machine allows you to develop a speed of up to 66 km per hour on the highway, 40 km off-road. The Bradley M2A2 is equipped with a new transmission, and to cope with the increased weight, stronger torsion bars have been added to the suspension. The tracked chassis has excellent cross-country ability, the BMP can even overcome water obstacles with water at a speed of up to 7.2 km/h.

You can see Bradley in action on the video:

Technical characteristics of the Bradley M2A2 ODS BMP:

Application at the front

According to military expert Mykhailo Samus, the Bradley is a good example of a powerful combat vehicle capable of breaking through. The first tranche of Bradley is able to form a fist, which in certain directions can help break through the front, which is confirmed by the Pentagon.

The Americans are confident that the Bradley can be effective in offensive operations, and most importantly, it will fulfill its main function of transporting troops in high-risk areas. Bradley is a reliable platform with proven anti-tank and anti-personnel weapons.

Military expert Oleg Zhdanov outlines the promising areas of use of the Bradley – the transportation and cover of infantry, as well as fire support in both offensive and defensive situations.

Taking into account the recent events at the front, when the enemy became more active in the eastern directions, such a protected vehicle will help effectively stop the “meat waves” of the Wagnerites and cover the Ukrainian infantry, fighting for every centimeter of Donbas and beyond.