In contrast to the unclear delivery schedule for the M1A2 Abrams MBT, the United States has shipped dozens of M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) armored vehicles to Ukraine. The amount shipped was also higher than previously estimated.
As many as 60 units of M2 Bradley were sent by the US Transportation Command (Transcom) via cargo ship from the Port of North Charleston in South Carolina last week.
The M2 Bradley delivery is part of a $2.85 billion US military aid agreement for Ukraine announced earlier this year. Along with 60 M2 Bradleys, Joe Biden announced an additional $2.5 billion in security assistance, consisting of more Stryker combat vehicles, ammunition, missiles, and armored personnel carriers.
This brings the total US contribution to Ukraine to US$27.1 billion, calculated since the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022.
“Operation Ukraine underscores the importance of having a highly mobile force with a strategic airlift fleet that can be deployed immediately, within hours of notification and available sealifts that can deliver much larger volumes of material for delivery and maintain a decisive force,” said the Air Force General. Jacqueline Van Ovost, Commander US Transcom.
The M2 Bradley is an IFV based on an armored chassis designed to carry infantry troops on the battlefield and provide direct fire support using the onboard automatic cannon and anti-tank missiles.
Currently, the US Army has approximately 2,500 Bradley IFVs in A2 and A3 configurations. Apart from being used by the US, Bradley is also operated by Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Produced by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, a total of 6,724 Bradleys have been built.
The M2 Bradley is armed with an ATK Gun Systems Company M242 25mm Bushmaster Chain Gun, plus a 7.62mm M240C machine gun mounted coaxially to the right of the gun barrel. The 25 mm gun has dual-feed rate capability and the shooter can choose single shots, in terms of performance, a gun rate of 100 or 200 projectiles per minute.
The Bradley is capable of conducting anti-tank combat operations thanks to two BGM-71 TOW missile launchers mounted on the left side of the turret. The TOW system allows the M2 Bradley vehicle to engage Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and other armored vehicles up to a maximum range of 3,750 meters.
The M2 Bradley weighs in the range of 27.6 tonnes to 30.4 tonnes (depending on protection configuration). From the specifications, Bradley is 6.55 meters long, 3.6 meters wide and 2.98 meters high. Bradley is manned by 3 personnel, while the number of troops that can be transported depends on the variant.
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