The M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has become an integral part of the arsenal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and has proven itself as an effective and reliable weapon in the fight against Russian armored vehicles. It is not only a symbol of American technological superiority, but also the most reliable ally in conducting combat operations on the modern battlefield.
The United States has transferred 190 M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. It is known that the operator of the American vehicles is the 47th separate mechanized brigade. Analysts call the infantry fighting vehicles not just a “combat taxi”, but a full-fledged armed platform that can cover allied infantry. Focus figured out what is special about the M2A2 ODS-SA, why it is so popular with the Ukrainian military, and what capabilities the vehicle has.
Ukraine received a not the most modern version of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. In the United States, there are up to 9 modifications. The Armed Forces of Ukraine received the M2 A2 ODS-SA — this is a modernization that was developed after the experience of the American army in Iraq. ODS is an abbreviation for Operation Desert Storm, which took place in 1991.
The M2 Bradley was designed to transport mechanized infantry to the battlefield in close contact with the enemy. However, unlike its predecessor, the M113 APC, the Bradley is not just a “combat taxi.” The new BMP is a full-fledged combat platform that can provide direct support to allied infantry. The role of the vehicle:
- safe transportation of infantry to the front line;
- providing fire support to cover landing operations;
- destruction of enemy armored vehicles, including tanks.
During the 1990-1991 Gulf War, the M2 Bradley proved so effective that it destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams tanks. However, it also revealed the shortcomings of the combat vehicle. Therefore, during the modernization of the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, it was equipped with the FBCB2 combat information and control system. It allows you to exchange data with reconnaissance satellites and all other units that also have FBCB2.
The main work concerned optics, so that the crew could work in different conditions. For this purpose, an ELRF laser rangefinder from Fire Control Systems was installed. Its range is 10 km. To better orient the vehicle on the battlefield, a DCS digital orientation system and a TACNAV tactical navigation system were installed. The driver-mechanic received a thermal imager, and the vehicle's protection was improved with an infrared passive anti-tank defense system.
An example of how the analysis of combat experience in the United States works is the following fact. In the M2A2 ODS-SA, benches were installed in the troop compartment instead of individual seats. Application in combat has shown that soldiers are faster to leave the vehicle from benches than from individual seats. They are mounted on the walls of the vehicle so that during a mine explosion, less energy from the explosion is transmitted to the soldiers inside.
The fighters of the 47th separate brigade have repeatedly destroyed enemy infantry, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and even tanks. The M2 Bradley is a combination of three key elements: armor, manufacturability and combat capabilities. Before the start of the full-scale war, the Ukrainian army had only Soviet BMP-1, 2 and 3. After the start of February 24, 2022, the Defense Forces began to receive BMPs from Western manufacturers. Among them:
- CV9040 from Sweden;
- Rosomak from Poland;
- M2A2 ODS-SA Bradley from the USA;
- Marder M1A3 from Germany and hundreds of others.
All of them are many times better than Soviet vehicles. Operators of new combat vehicles say that it is like changing from a Zhiguli to a Mercedes. Comparing the combat capabilities of Western infantry fighting vehicles does not make much sense, because they differ in details. In general, this is a new level of capabilities for the Ukrainian military.
In addition to the basic powerful protection M2 Bradley has a specially created dynamic protection BRAT. Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles is a development of the RAFAEL company for lightly armored vehicles. Additional protection was also used during the war in Iraq. It is supposed to protect the vehicle from anti-tank weapons.
The Russian army also installs dynamic protection on lightly armored vehicles. However, the key difference is that the “Kontakt” DZ, which is designed for tanks, is installed on APCs or even armored vehicles. The thin armor of an armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle may not withstand the activation of “Kontakt” and penetrate the protection inside. Therefore, the invaders, in an attempt to increase the protection of the equipment, actually make it worse.
The Bradley fighting module contains a 25 mm Bushmaster M242 automatic cannon and a TOW-2B ATGM. The cannon has a rate of fire of 200-500 rounds per minute. Fire can be conducted with two types of ammunition: armor-piercing high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation. The cannon is fully stabilized, and therefore can conduct aimed fire while moving. The TOW-2B anti-tank complex is launched from inside the vehicle. Range up to 4.5 km.
During the full-scale war, the 47th Brigade destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment and vehicles, but the episode of neutralizing the newest Russian T-90M “Breakthrough” tank received special publicity. As the fighters said after the battle, the first BMP had technical problems, so a second one came to replace it and “flipped on character.”.
“They hit everyone in a row… I used to play computer games, so I remembered everything. How to hit those tanks, and where to hit them, because I had to stop them at all costs,” recalls gunner commander Serhiy about the battle against the T-90M.
The third element of the advantage of the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is its technological sophistication, which also surpasses Soviet models. For example, the M2 has a SADA-II thermal imaging system — the same one installed on the Abrams tanks in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The complex has a range of up to 5 km, which means that the vehicle commander will be the first to detect the Russian vehicle and be able to open fire. Soviet infantry fighting vehicles do not have thermal imaging sights in principle.
The 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade has repeatedly demonstrated high skill in repelling Russian attacks in the Avdiivka direction. This prompted the manufacturer BAE Systems to announce the resumption of production of the infantry fighting vehicle along with the M777 howitzer. The decision is attributed to high demand for weapons.
The high effectiveness of the M2 Bradley during the Russian-Ukrainian war did not cancel US plans to develop the next version of the vehicle. In November 2023, the concept of the XM30 infantry fighting vehicle was presented, which is intended to become the main infantry fighting vehicle in the US Army.
The XM30 is part of a broader program to create OMFV tracked vehicles. It is assumed that the new BMP will be a leap in technology and will be able to be unmanned. The M2 Bradley is called one that has already reached the limit of modernization. The development of the successor is being carried out by five companies, each of which is to present its own vision:
- Point Blank Enterprises;
- Oshkosh Defense;
- BAE Systems Land and Armaments;
- General Dynamics Land Systems:
- American Rheinmetall.
The total value of the contracts is estimated at $299.4 million.
