NationMaster - Encyclopedia: M2 Bradley

The M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) are American infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, (formerly United Defense, originally FMC). Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (1858-1913), inventor of the diesel engine. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, during the making of the eponymous film. ... BAE Systems Land and Armaments was created on June 24, 2005, following the completition of BAE Systems acquisition of United Defense. ... United Defense Industries was a United States defense contractor which is now part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments. ... FMC Corporation is a chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

The mission of the Bradley on the battlefield is to transport infantry, to provide fire cover to dismounted troops and to suppress enemy tanks and armored fighting vehicles. The M2 holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner, and a driver; as well as six fully equipped soldiers. The M3 mainly conducts scout missions and carries a crew of three and two scouts.

Overview

The Bradley AFV was designed largely in response to the Soviet BMP family of infantry fighting vehicles, and to serve as both an APC, and a tank-killer. One specific design requirement was that it should be as fast as the new M1 Abrams main battle tank. The older models of the Army's M113 APC, which had been designed to complement the M-60 Patton, could not keep up with the M1 Abrams. In contrast, however, the M113 was more mobile in closed cross-country terrain, had an amphibious capability, and could be transported by C-130 Hercules — capabilities lost with the Bradley. Despite the introduction of the Bradley, the M113 continued in service. Newer M113 models with bigger engines could outpace the Bradley and, upgraded into the AIFV, have the same 25 mm autocannon capabilities. The M113, however, is only protected against 7.62 mm AP rounds, whereas the original Bradley was protected against 14.5 mm rounds and the A2 (and up) version is protected against 30 mm AP and RPGs. The BMP-1 is a Soviet infantry fighting vehicle which was first introduced in the early 1960s. ... Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... The M113 is an armored personnel carrier family of vehicles in use with the US military and many other nations. ... M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S armys principal main battle tanks of the Cold War, with models in service from the late 1940s to the 1990s. ... The AIFV (Advanced Infantry Fighting Vehicle) is a tracked light armoured vehicle which serves as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in the armies of several countries. ...

The 25 mm cannon fires up to 200 rounds per minute and is accurate up to 2500 m. The twin TOW2B missiles are capable of destroying most hostile tanks at a maximum range of 3750 m. A large drawback of the TOW is that it can only be fired while the vehicle is standing still. The Bradley also carries an M240C coaxial 7.62 mm medium machine gun, located to the right of the 25 mm chain gun. Its open terrain cross-country capability is superb, as during its design phase, a main objective was to keep it up to speed with the M1 Abrams main battle tank. Whereas the M113 would float without much preparation, the Bradley was initially designed to float by deploying a flotation curtain around the vehicle. This caused some drownings due to failures during its first trials. Armour upgrades negate this capability. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1660x2500, 527 KB) Source description: Soldiers from the Armys 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment load into an M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle as they conduct a combat patrol in the streets of Tall Afar, Iraq, on Feb. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1660x2500, 527 KB) Source description: Soldiers from the Armys 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment load into an M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle as they conduct a combat patrol in the streets of Tall Afar, Iraq, on Feb. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ...

The vehicle hull is of aluminum construction, one of the points used by critics to deride the vehicle. Aluminium armor tends to vaporize in the face of HEAT warheads; this and the prodigious storage of ammunition in the vehicle initially raised questions about its combat survivability. Spaced laminate belts and high hardness steel skirts have been added to later versions to improve armor protection, although this increases overall weight to 33 tons. Actual combat operations, however, have not shown the Bradley to be overtly deficient as losses have been few, albeit more than what should be expected from a 33-ton vehicle. In friendly fire incidents in Desert Storm, many crew members survived hits that resulted in total losses for lighter USMC LAV 25 vehicles. A HEAT round. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... LAV-25, also known as Bison, is said to be an 8 wheeled vehicle that has been used to destroy non-biological land-mines while safely carring 6 people. ...

USAF LTC James Burton conducted highly publicized live fire tests where it was found that the center of the vehicle was most likely to be hit. His efforts to redesign the Bradley were not fully implemented; Bradleys still store their fuel dangerously in the vehicle center whereas M113A3s have their fuel stored on the left and right rear to prevent fires/explosions inside the troop compartment.

The Bradley series has been widely modified. Its chassis is the basis for the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, the M4 C2V battlefield command post, and the M6 Bradley Linebacker air defense vehicle. Armed with a quad Stinger surface to air missile launcher (instead of the TOW anti-tank missiles) and maintaining the 25 mm autocannon, the M6 Bradley Linebacker Air Defense Vehicle possesses a unique role in the U.S. Army, providing highly mobile air defense at the front line. Its suspension system has also been used on upgraded versions of the US Marines' Amphibious Assault Vehicle. The M270 MLRS conducts a rocket launch. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV)â€”official designation AAV-7A1 (formerly known as LVT-7) is the current amphibious troop transport of the United States Marine Corps and is also operated by other forces. ...

Production History

The Bradley, named after WWII General Omar Bradley, consists of two types of vehicles, the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. The M3 CFV was originally going to be named after General Jacob L. Devers,^[1] but it was decided the Bradley name would apply to both, since both vehicles are based on the same chassis (they differ in only some details). The M2 carries a crew of three and a six-man infantry squad. The M3 carries the crew of three and a two-man scout team and additional radios, TOW and Dragon or Javelin missiles. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893 â€“ April 8, 1981) was one of the main U.S. Army field commanders in North Africa and Europe during World War II and a General of the Army of the United States Army. ... General Jacob Jake Loucks Devers (September 8, 1887 - October 15, 1979), who is best remembered for his command of the 6th Army Group in Europe during World War II, graduated from the US Military Academy in 1909. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... In the fire service a Squad is a Engine Company with a compliment of rescue tools. ... A TOW missile being fired from a Jeep. ... Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas Overall Length: 1,154 mm (44. ... A soldier practices with the Javelin on a firing range. ...

Since entering service with the U.S. Army in 1981, 6,724 Bradleys have been produced. (4,641 M2s and 2,083 M3s) The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The troubled development history of the Bradley^[2] is described in a book by Air Force Lt. Col. James Burton,^[3] which was adapted for the 1998 film The Pentagon Wars starring Kelsey Grammer and Cary Elwes. The Pentagon Wars is a 1998 HBO film, starring Kelsey Grammer, Cary Elwes and Richard Schiff, based on a book of the same name. ... Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is a five-time Emmy and Golden Globe-winning American actor who is best known for his two decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. ... Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (born October 26, 1962) is an English actor credited as Cary Elwes, best known for his performances in The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Saw. ...

Combat History

During the Gulf War, M2 and M3 Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams.^[4] 20 Bradleys were lost; 3 by enemy fire and 17 due to friendly fire incidents; another 12 were damaged.^[5] To remedy some problems that were identified as contributing factors in the friendly fire incidents, infrared identification panels and other marking/identification measures were added to the Bradleys.-1... -1... Combatants US-led Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf, Peter de la BilliÃ¨re, Khalid bin Sultan Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded see section below The Gulf War or the Persian Gulf War (16 January 1991â€“28 February 1991)[1][2... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ...

In the Second Gulf War, the Bradley has proved somewhat vulnerable to mobility kills (attacks that do not necessarily destroy the vehicle completely, but render it inoperable or immobile, such as track or engine malfunctions) through IED and RPG attacks, but casualties have been light—the doctrine being to allow the crew to escape at the expense of the vehicle. As of early 2006, total combat losses included 55 Bradleys.^[6] For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... A mobility kill (or M-kill) in armoured warfare refers to damage inflicted by a weapon on a vehicle that immobizes it, but does not totally destroy it, leaving the vehicles crew able to use its weapons. ... Munitions rigged for an IED discovered by Iraqi police in Baghdad, November 2005. ... An RPG-7 captured by the US Army A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a loose term describing hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ...

Variants

Image File history File links DA-SC-85-11316. ... Image File history File links DA-SC-85-11316. ...

M2/M3

The M2 (also sometimes written M2A0 to help prevent confusion) was the basic production model, first produced in 1982. The M2A0 was can be identified by its standard TOW missile system and 500-horsepower engine with HMPT-500 Hydromechanical transmission. Basic features also included an integrated sight unit for the M242 25 mm, and thermal imaging system. The M2A0 was amphibious with the use of a "Swim Barrier" and was C-141 and C-5 transportable. All M2A0 vehicles have been upgraded to improved standards. The A0 series armor protects the vehicle against 14.5 mm AP.

M2A1/M3A1

Introduced in 1986, the A1 variant included an improved TOW II missile system, a Gas Particulate Filter Units (GPFU) NBC system, and a fire-suppression system. By 1992, the M2A1s had begun being remanufactured to upgraded standards.

Image File history File links Pi110904a1. ... Image File history File links Pi110904a1. ... This article or section should be merged with Reactive armour Explosive Reactive Armour. ...

M2A2/M3A2

Introduced in 1988, the A2 received an improved 600-horsepower (447 kW) engine with a HMPT-500-3 Hydromechanical transmission and improved armor (both passive and the ability to mount explosive reactive armor). The new armor protects the Bradley against 30 mm AP rounds and RPG's (or similar anti-armor weapons). Ammo stowage was reorganized and spall liners were added. The M2A2 was qualified to be transported by the C-17 Globemaster III. M2A2s will all eventually be modified to M2A2 ODS or M2A3 standard. This article or section should include material from Explosive reactive armour Reactive armor or explosive reactive armour (ERA), is a type of armour used primarily on tanks to lessen the damage from explosions caused from missile warheads, exploding shells, grenades, or dropped bombs. ... Very high speed photography of a small projectile impacting a thin aluminium plate at 7000 m/s. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) C-17 Globemaster III is a strategic airlifter manufactured by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and operated by the United States Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. ...

M2A2 ODS/ODS-E and M3A2 ODS

The "Operation Desert Storm" and "Operation Desert Storm-Engineer" improvements were based on lessons learned during the first Gulf War in 1991. The major improvements included an eye-safe laser rangefinder (ELRF), a tactical navigation system (TACNAV) incorporating the Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) and the Digital Compass System (DCS), a missile countermeasure device designed to defeat first-generation wire-guided missiles, and the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) Battlefield Command Information System. The internal stowage was further improved and a thermal imaging system was added for the driver.

M2A3/M3A3

Introduced in 2000, the A3 upgrades make the Bradley IFV/CFV totally digital and upgrade or improve existing electronics systems throughout improving target acquisition and fire control, navigation, and situational awareness. Also, the survivability of the vehicle is upgraded with a series of armor improvements, again both passive and reactive, as well as improved fire-suppression systems and NBC equipment.

Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle

The BSFV is designed specifically for the carriage and support of a Stinger MANPADS team. An SA-7 in use Russian Manportable SAM System SA-18/GROUSE MANPADS (Human-Portable Air-Defence System) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. ...

Warhammer Bradley

Modified M2A2 ODSs with the TOW missle system replaced with a 2 tube Javelin Missle System, and ISU (Integrated Sight Unit)modifications for increased anti-tank lethality, without the need to continually track the target.

M6 Linebacker

An air defense variant, these vehicles are modified M2A2 ODSs with the TOW missile system replaced with a four-tube Stinger missile system. Despite the fact that the vehicle is superior to the Bradley SFV (the crew does not have to dismount and can fire on the move) and the M1097 Humvee Avenger (since it is tracked and armored) these are due to be retired from U.S. service.^[7] Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive infrared homing/seek surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator and designed to attack aircraft at a range of up to 15... Avenger air defense missile system The Avenger Air Defense System is a US military weapon system utilized by both the Army and the Marine Corps that provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters. ...

M7 Bradley Fire Support Team

The Bradley FiST is designed to replace existing forward observation vehicles in the U.S. Army inventory, and adds an inertial navigation system and a new targeting station control panel. A mission-processor unit automates the fire-request system. In OIF I and II, six M7 BFISTs formed 1st PLT, Fox Battery, 3rd Bn 82d Field Artillery of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Black Jack) 1st Cavalry Division.

Armament

The Bradley is equipped with the M242 25 mm chain gun as its main weapon. The M242 has a single barrel with an integrated dual-feed mechanism and remote feed selection.^[8] The gun contains ammunition in two ready boxes of 70 rounds and 230 rounds each for a total of 300 ready rounds and carries 600 rounds in storage. The two ready boxes allow selectable mix of rounds such as the M791 APDS-T (Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (with) Tracer), and M792 HEI-T (High Explosive Incendiary (with) Tracer) rounds. The APDS-T depleted uranium rounds proved highly effective in Desert Storm being capable of knocking out many Iraqi vehicles including several kills on T-55 tanks. There have even been reports of kills against Iraqi T-72 tanks (at close range). Caliber: 25 mm NATO Firearm action: Chain gun Manufactured by: ATK Barrel Length: 85. ... Crewman relinking 25 mm rounds The 25 mm caliber is a standard size of heavy machine gun (specifically autocannon) ammunition for NATO forces. ... The M242 25mm Chain gun A chain gun is a type of machine gun or autocannon that uses an external source of power, rather than recoil, to cycle the weapon. ... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... The T-54 and T-55 tank series was the Soviet Unions front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962, and remains in service throughout the world to this day, especially by former client states of the Soviet Union. ... The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. ...

It is also armed with a M240C machine gun mounted coaxially to the M242, with 2,200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. For engaging heavier targets (such as when acting in an anti-tank fashion), the Bradley has a TOW missile system onboard, which was changed to fire TOW II missiles, onwards from the M2A1 model. Bradleys also have turreted firing ports for a number of M231 Firing Port Weapons or FPWs, providing a button-up firing position to replace the top-side gunners on the old ACAV. Initial variants carried 6 total, but the side ports were removed for the new armor used on the A2 and A3 variants, leaving only the two rear-facing mounts in the loading ramp. All versions are also equipped with two four-barreled smoke grenade launchers on the front of the turret for creating defensive smoke screens, and can also be loaded with chaff and flares. The M240, formally United States Machine Gun, 7. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Coaxially mounted weapons refer to those weapon systems that are mounted coaxially, side-by-side, with the main weapon system. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... A TOW missile being fired from a Jeep. ... M231 FPW Designed by the Rock Island Armory as a dedicated Firing Port Weapon (or FPW) for the M2/M3 Bradley AFV, the Colt M231 FPW remains in service, although all but the rear two firing ports on the Bradley have been removed. ... Smoke grenade A purple smoke grenade being used during a military training exercise Main article: Hand grenade Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or a screening devices for unit movements. ... A grenade launcher is weapon that fires or launches a grenade to longer distances than a soldier could throw by hand. ... A U.S. Army Humvee laying a smoke screen A smoke-screen is a release of smoke in order to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks or ships. ... Modern US Navy RR-129 and RR-124 chaff countermeasures and containers Chaff, originally called Window by the British, is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallised glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of... A World War I-era parachute flare dropped from aircraft for illumination. ...

Notes

^ Haworth, W. Blair (1999). The Bradley and How It Got That Way: Technology, Institutions, and the Problem of Mechanized Infantry in the United States Army. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. 0313309744.
^ Diane L. Urbina. "Lethal beyond all expectations: The Bradley Fighting Vehicle" - in chapter 12 of George F. Hofmann and Donn A. Starry (editors) Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces, Lexington, Kentucky; The University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 0-8131-2130-2.
^ James G. Burton, LtCol. The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press (1993). ISBN 1-55750-081-9.
^ Global Security
^ Quotation from General accounting office's report about the Bradleys and Abrams performance in the Gulf War:
- According to information provided by the Army’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, 20 Bradleys were destroyed during the Persian Gulf war. Another 12 Bradleys were damaged, but 4 of these were quickly repaired. Friendly fire accounted for 17 of the destroyed Bradleys and 3 of the damaged ones.
^ Thompson LB, Korb LJ, Wadhams CP. Army Equipment After Iraq. Lexington Institute and Center for American Progress.
^ Air Defense Artillery April-June 2005
^ http://www.army-technology.com/projects/bradley/

The Center for American Progress is a liberal U.S. think tank and advocacy organization led and created by John Podesta, a former chief of staff to Bill Clinton. ...

Contents

Overview

Production History

Combat History

Variants

M2/M3

M2A1/M3A1

M2A2/M3A2

M2A2 ODS/ODS-E and M3A2 ODS

M2A3/M3A3

Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle

Warhammer Bradley

M6 Linebacker

M7 Bradley Fire Support Team

Armament

Notes

See also

External links

Contents

Overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Production History

Combat History

Variants

M2/M3

M2A1/M3A1

M2A2/M3A2

M2A2 ODS/ODS-E and M3A2 ODS

M2A3/M3A3

Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle

Warhammer Bradley

M6 Linebacker

M7 Bradley Fire Support Team

Armament

Notes

See also

External links

Overview