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Bradley fighting vehicles

The deployment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, provided by the US, has played a crucial role in strengthening Ukrainian defences against russian aggression. The importance of these vehicles in the conflict cannot be overstated. Bradley Fighting Vehicles have consistently demonstrated their reliability and versatility in a range of operations, from rescue operations under heavy fire and serving as effective combat units.

Bradley IFVs are crucial on the battlefield for several key reasons:

• Mobility and Speed Bradley IFVs provide rapid movement for military units on the battlefield. This allows troops to quickly respond to changing tactical situations and perform maneuvers for flanking attacks or retreats.
• Infantry Protection The Bradley protects infantrymen from small arms fire, artillery fragments, and certain types of mines. This significantly increases the survivability of soldiers in combat conditions, especially when moving through dangerous areas.
• Fire Support The Bradley IFVs are equipped with powerful armaments, including a 25mm automatic cannon, TOW anti-tank missiles, and machine guns. This weaponry enables them to effectively destroy enemy infantry, lightly armored vehicles, and even tanks.
• Reconnaissance and Surveillance Bradleys are equipped with modern observation and communication systems, allowing commanders to receive critical information about enemy positions and movements. This contributes to better coordination of combat actions.

Bradleys are highly valued for their durability, mobility and firepower. However, they are not invulnerable and nor are the soldiers operating them. Even modern American fighting vehicles have not previously dealt with drones, making them vulnerable to such threats.

As part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front, Metinvest is producing steel screens to protect the Bradleys. The first samples were tested in erly July 2024. The screens undergo testing at a training ground, where the military provides feedback. If everything is satisfactory, mass production begins. The Steel Front screens completely enclose the turret, engine compartment and openings where a drone could infiltrate and disable the tank or disrupt the turret. The design and manufacture of the shields has included constant feedback from soldiers to ensure they meet all their requirements. Oleksandr Myronenko, Chief Operating Officer of Metinvest Group, said, "The use of drones in Ukraine today is unprecedented: it wasn’t the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere. That's why there is no experience in protecting vehicles from drone attacks. Once we get feedback from the military from the tests of the first shields, we will refine them and scale up production, providing our soldiers with more protection."

The integration of steel screens further augments these capabilities, ensuring Ukrainian forces can continue to rely on Bradleys. Myronenko concluded, “The ongoing support from the US, which includes advanced vehicles like the Bradley, as well as wide-ranging support for Ukrainian companies, underscores the world’s collaborative efforts to fortify Ukraine’s defence and support us in this war. As a Ukrainian business, we are very clear that we also need to do everything we can to support our soldiers by making them as safe as possible.”

The Steel Front shields being developed for the Bradley Fighting Vehicles complement the shields Steel Front is already providing for M1 Abrams, T-64 and T-72 tanks. As well as the defensive screens, the Steel Front continues to manufacture and provide a range of defensive equipment to the Armed Forces. These include underground bunkers, body armour, mine clearance trawlers, lancet catchers and other products. The Steel Front is also actively involved in the construction of fortifications for the Armed Forces in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Since 24 February 2022, the SCM enterprises have, within the framework of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front, been Ukraine’s biggest private sector donors, directing more than UAH 8 billion (USD 198 million) to support the Armed Forces and civilians.

DOD will be delivering Bradley fighting vehicles to Ukraine in the near future, White House officials said 05 January 2023. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the Bradleys are part of a larger shipment of equipment to Ukraine that will be announced later. Onefeature of the use of the "Bradley" is that such an armored personnel carrier does not explode, but "knocks out", sustaining the impact and allowing the crew to leave the vehicle. Then these machines can be evacuated and returned to service.

The Bradleys are armored vehicles that can transport infantry in combat zones. They have both offensive and defensive capabilities and provide "a level of firepower and armor that will bring advantages on the battlefield as the Ukrainian military continues to defend their homeland," Ryder said during a news conference.

The United States was considering sending Bradley fighting vehicles to Ukraine. However, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg 30 December 2022 that a final decision has not yet been made. "The United States has a lot of Bradley armored vehicles, although some of them are outdated and in need of modernization, so stockpiles are not a problem," said Mark Kanchian, a former White House defense budget analyst who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Kanchian added that it will take several months before Ukraine can deploy these machines on the front, because crews and service personnel must first be trained. "Bradley is more than a worthy match for Russia's infantry fighting vehicles and its T-72 tanks," said David Perkins, a retired US general and Iraq war veteran.

The US Army has about a thousand armored vehicles that they can hand over to the Armed Forces without any problems. The United States as of 2022 had 2000 M2 Bradley IFV and 800 M3 Bradley CFV in storage, and planned to replace all of its Bradley armored vehicles. In 2021, the US Army selected candidates under the OMFV program to develop a replacement for this infantry fighting vehicle. The Department of Defense plans to spend $4.6 billion between fiscal years 2022 and 2026 on the OMFV program.

The United States intended to provide Ukraine with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and Germany plans to transfer Marder armored vehicles. This was stated in the 05 January 2023 statement of the White House based on the results of the telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, writes "European Truth". According to the statement, both countries plan to train the Ukrainian military on the respective systems.

"President Biden and Chancellor Scholz expressed their joint determination to continue providing necessary financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine for as long as necessary," the statement said. "They confirmed their support for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. They confirmed their steadfast solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression," the White House said.

The new package of military assistance from the United States for Ukraine includes 50 infantry fighting vehicles M2 Bradley. The package also includes ammunition from 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 25-mm rounds to the autocannon of this IFV. The modification of the M2A2 ODS that Ukraine will receive is developed based on the experience that the United States received during the hostilities.

Ukraine needs armored vehicles and Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United States are sending them to the besieged nation, Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia said. "In the case of the Bradley, what you are seeing is a recognition that this is the right time for us to provide this armored capability," she said. "This is the right time for Ukraine to take advantage of its capabilities to change the dynamic on the battlefield." Cooper said "The war in Ukraine is at a critical point right now, and we have to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians continue to resist Russian aggression".

Ukrainian soldiers must learn how to use the vehicles and maintain them, and Ryder said this will be part of the training that Ukrainian soldiers receive from U.S. and partner nations. Germany will accept the Ukrainian military for training on Bradley armored vehicles. The U.S. Department of Defense specified that the training will be held in the German Grafenwoehr Training Area. Allies are in constant dialogue with Ukraine to determine what security assistance is needed based on battlefield conditions. The United States is trying to provide Ukraine with means to help with offensive operations. “We will continue to consider their needs based on their requests and will try to provide them with the capabilities necessary not only to protect their country, but also to return the territory,” the Pentagon said.

But the Pentagon is not going to announce in advance exactly when these systems will appear in Ukraine. “We will continue to work as quickly as possible, and I am sure you understand this, we are not going to announce in advance when exactly these systems will appear,” the U.S. representatives said. The Pentagon is confident that Ukrainians themselves will show combat vehicles when they arrive in the country.

The training of Ukrainian military personnel on how to operate Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles will last rather weeks than months, US Department of Defense spokesperson Pat Ryder said on 12January 2023. "So, on the joint maneuver training, combined arms training, Bradleys, it should start next week in Germany," Ryder said during a news briefing. "We anticipate that that training will take weeks, not months, but I'm not going to get into the specific numbers of weeks or months."

US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) that the Biden administration intends to hand over to the Kiev regime have weak points and are insufficiently maneuverable on local terrain, Sergey Suvorov, retired colonel and armor expert, Candidate of Military Sciences, told TASS on 13 January 2023.

"The weak points [of the Bradley IFV] is its heavy weight after all and the absence of the capability to surmount water obstacles. It is a big question of how it will perform on Ukrainian soil, on black earth," the expert said, pointing out that the vehicle’s modern modifications have a mass comparable to that of the Soviet-era T-55 tank (it weighed about 36 metric tons), which reduces its cross country capability.

Any theater of military operations implies the presence of water obstacles along the armor’s path and early Bradley models could be supplied with special pontoons, the expert said. "One of the earliest modifications could overcome obstacles with the help of a pontoon. This was the lightest version without any extra protection. The vehicle’s modification slated for delivery comes with additional protection and won’t be able to float with these supports," he explained.

The military expert also pointed to the difficulties of using pontoons. They must be delivered to the area of their use separately from the vehicle and be mounted on the IFVs right before surmounting water obstacles.

Although the Bradley IFVs had a scant number of chances to demonstrate their potential in combat conditions in Iraq where the Americans employed them after all, these vehicles "went up in flames like any other armor," the expert pointed out. "There is one weak point, considering the experience of the Iraq war: the vehicle would break down when its frontal part, namely, its transmissions on both sides of the hull, were hit by a large-caliber machine gun," he explained.

Based on data from Oryx researchers, by 17 June 2023 it was possible to talk about the loss of 17 units of M2A2 Bradley. Of them, only five were definitely destroyed, the rest were damaged and thrown on the battlefield. Despite the Russians' triumphalist claims about the damaged "armored offensive equipment", Ukraine's Western allies did not consider its loss as a kind of defeat. So, already on June 13, 2023, Washington announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine, which provides for the additional supply of 15 more Bradley vehicles to replace the lost ones. Military expert and retired Russian Army Col. Anatoliy Matviychuk, a veteran of combat operations in Afghanistan and Syria, told Sputnik 27 June 2023 that from the beginning, the Bradley was outmatched by the vehicle it was supposed to counter, the Soviet-built BMP-2 IFV, and today is totally outclassed by the BMP-3, which can go toe-to-toe with the best Western main battle tanks. “That is, our machine is much superior to Bradley's combat capabilities in this regard,” Matviychuk concluded.

“Let's take the BMP-2 and BMP-3, which are in service with the Russian Army. These infantry fighting vehicles are designed to increase the firepower of a motorized rifle squad [“armored cavalry” in American parlance], transport personnel and support them with fire on the battlefield, as well as to overcome various kinds of obstacles, including those created artificially. The vehicles have anti-nuclear protection,” he explained.

“The Americans tried to recreate something similar in the Bradley, but it turned out very interesting: while our infantry fighting vehicle can float, theirs [the American Bradley IFV] does not. In order for her to overcome water obstacles, it is necessary either to build pontoons, or to make auxiliary equipment in the form of inflatable bags.”

“Our BMP-3 is armed with a 30-millimeter cannon, a 100-millimeter cannon, a 7.62-millimeter machine gun, a sufficiently large number of automatic grenade launchers, and can be fitted out with portable anti-aircraft missile systems. Bradleys have either 20-millimeter or 25-millimeter guns and a 7.62-millimeter machine gun.”

“In terms of firepower, our infantry fighting vehicle is far superior to them. And one more thing: our infantry fighting vehicle is very stable in terms of moving over rough terrain. The American infantry fighting vehicle is designed so that its center of gravity is shifted. And if used incorrectly, they very often tip over, and an obstacle of more than 30 degrees is almost insurmountable for them.”

Matviychuk observed that while the Bradley’s height gives it an observational advantage, it also makes it “very convenient to aim at it.” “The Bradley is a rather tall vehicle, clearly visible against the background of the terrain, which allows the use of all types of weapons on it with a fairly good aiming range. That is, it attracts projectiles to itself.”

“The armor is so thin that it does not meaningfully protect [the crew] against the main means of destruction, which are our 100-mm anti-tank guns and, of course, portable anti-tank systems. And one more thing - the vehicle is very difficult to maneuver in muddy conditions, and in winter conditions, it practically cannot maneuver at all to overcome snowdrifts and ice obstacles,” he said.

“Our BMP-2 and BMP-3 can do all this, since we made them to be all-terrain vehicles. For example, the BMP-2, in addition to firing at ground targets, is also perfectly capable of attacking aerial targets, in particular fire support helicopters. The BMP-3 has a 30-mm cannon for supporting attacking infantry and lightly armored targets, and an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) can be fired from the barrel of the 100-mm cannon. She can fight heavy enemy tanks like the Leopard 2 and Abrams.”

Paul E. Vallely, Retired US Army Major General and Chairman of Stand Up America US Foundation, told Sputnik that the US was sending obsolete vehicles to Ukraine because it has long produced them for cheap, but noted the Pentagon may not be able to stomach the cost of replacing the Bradleys. “The Bradleys are very old vehicles now, and so I think that's the reason that they're dumping them out, is to get rid of them and give them to Ukraine,” he said.

Indeed, Washington has sent more than 60 Bradley IFVs to Ukraine to buttress Kiev’s armored forces, but it’s already lost at least 16 of them in combat, many during assaults on the Surovikin Defensive Line. Vallely noted that the US also left “hundreds” of Bradleys in Afghanistan as well, as US forces beat a hasty retreat as the Taliban* crushed the US-backed government in August 2021. However, it still has plenty in its inventory to give to Ukraine, thanks to mass manufacturing developed over the last several decades of the Bradley’s use.

“We're not developing a lot of new vehicles now. We're basically taking the ones that we have that are in manufacturing plants and they're building them. Well, they're building new vehicles, of course, constantly, just like ammunition,” he said. “But these vehicles take a long time to build.”

A detailed Russiaan analysis of America's infantry fighting vehicle Bradley has shown that its combat effectiveness is vastly inferior to Russia's BMP-3, according to Roman Khromov, Deputy Executive Director of Kurganmashzavod (part of the High-Precision Complexes sector of the Rostec State Corporation), in conversation with Sputnik 01 September 2023.

"The fact that the American BMP Bradley is not an analog of the Russian BMP-3 has been confirmed by the in-situ study of samples taken during the special military operation. The study of trophies confirms that the BMP-3's characteristics - firepower, mobility, ease of operation, maintenance, repair - are superior to the American infantry fighting vehicle," he said. In particular, the Bradley is armed only with an automatic 25mm-caliber canon and is not amphibious without preliminary and serious preparations, unlike the BMP-3, which overcomes water obstacles immediately, Khromov noted. "The American vehicle needs time to do this, and time is life," Khromov said.

"Furthermore, the American vehicle has a low level of mobility and off-road capability, especially on the type of terrain we see in the region of special operation," the specialist added. He noted that a comparison between the BMP-3 and the Bradley was carried out as early as 1991. The vehicle was presented in a tender in the United Arab Emirates, which was selecting an infantry fighting vehicle for its army. "At that time, the USSR took part in the tender with the BMP-3 and BMP-2, and the US with the M2 Bradley. A comparative analysis showed that the BMP-3 won in terms of combat characteristics and by a wide margin. As a result, the Emirates bought more than 600 of these in the Nineties," he said.

Khromov added that the US infantry fighting vehicle used in the special military operational zone is somewhat different, mainly because of electronic systems that are quite difficult to use. "This is one of the weak points of these vehicles: if electronic components in the Bradley fail, the vehicle can completely lose its ability to fire," Khromov noted.