As if following in the footsteps of French President Emmanuel Macron who gave a New Year's 'gift' to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, namely in the form of an AMX-10RC/RCR 6×6, US President Joe Biden did not want to miss the moment, through the United States Department of Defense, on January 5, 2023, Washington officially announced the delivery of the M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) to Ukraine.
From the independent.ng website, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said the M2 Bradley was part of a larger equipment shipment to Ukraine. The Pentagon has not specified the number of Bradleys to be delivered to Ukraine, but according to some US media, Ukraine is said to be receiving 50 M2 Bradleys.
In a press conference, Pat Ryder said the M2 Bradley is an armored gun that can transport infantry in a combat zone. This type of armor has both offensive and defensive capabilities and provides a lethal level of combat power.
The M2 Bradley is an IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) 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.
Development of the Bradley began in the 1970s and the first vehicles were delivered in the early 1980s. 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 made.
Since entering US Army service, the M2 Bradley has undergone several modifications and improvements in terms of mobility, firepower and protection. Bradley M2A4 is the latest version in the Bradley family.
As an IFV, the M2 Bradley is armed with an ATK Gun Systems Company M242 cannon 25mm caliber 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 also 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 between 27.6 tonnes and 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.
The Bradley was powered by a Cummins VTA-903T diesel engine developing 600 hp (450 kW). This IFV without amphibious capability can accelerate to a maximum of 56 km per hour and travel as far as 400 km.
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