Although lightly armored, the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is designed to maneuver infantry to the battlefield and provide fire support against enemy infantry and fortifications.
The US Army is preparing to deploy 100 M2/M3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and thousands of troops to Poland.
Although part of standard troop rotation, the US force will deploy to Poland at a point in time when tensions with neighboring Russia remain high over the invasion of Ukraine.
Why Is the Army Sending Bradley IFVs to Poland?
The Army has prepared more than 100 M2/M3 Bradleys in Germany to support the next rotation of US forces in Poland.
Preparing more than 100 M2/M3 Bradleys for an operational deployment is not an easy feat. There are a many moving parts to ensure that the troops not only have combat-ready infantry fighting vehicles but the necessary tools and support to ensure that the M2/M3s can conduct sustained combat operations if necessary. The process took several months to complete, and Army personnel and contractors worked together.
“We’ve been briefing US Army Sustainment Command and US Army Europe and Africa weekly on the status of these Bradleys since last August,” Army Maj. Alec Velasco, the executive officer at the 405th Army Field Support Brigade, said in a service press release.
“Between the Army civilians who work there, the green suitors there, and the team of contractors who do 90 percent of the heavy lifting to get these vehicles ready, it’s been a huge collaborative effort,” the Army officer added.
Napoleon Bonaparte famously remarked that “an army marches on its stomach.” More than 200 years later, the French leader’s statement about military logistics remains accurate. A military might have the best-trained and equipped forces in the world, but it would still be at a disadvantage if it could not move materiel and logistics efficiently.
“Initially, it seemed like an insurmountable task. Progress was slow at first as we did the required technical inspections and ordered all the necessary parts. As parts started coming in, we’d start wrenching them down. As one system came up, we’d run the required tests on all the systems and often find more problems. But we kept at it, and progress really accelerated this past spring and summer to get to where we are today,” Velasco said.
About the Bradley IFV
- Year Introduced: 1981
- Number Built: 6,700+ (all variants)
- Length: 21.5 ft (6.55 m)
- Total weight, battle ready: 30.4 short tons
- Suspensions: Torsion bar
- Engine: Cummins VTA-903T diesel engine; 600 hp (450 kW)
- Armament: 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun; two BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile; 7.62mm M240 machine gun
- Top speed: 41 mph (66 km/h)
- Range: ~250 mi (~400 km)
- Crew: 3, plus passengers
The M2/M3 Bradley is the Army’s main infantry fighting vehicle. Manufactured by BAE Systems, the combat vehicle sports a variety of armaments, giving it the ability to take on a wide variety of adversaries. For its defense, the combat vehicles use modular composite armor, which can include Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA).
Although lightly armored, the infantry fighting vehicle is designed to maneuver infantry to the battlefield and provide fire support against enemy infantry and fortifications. In capable hands, M2/M3 Bradleys can even stand up to main battle tanks, as the Ukrainians showed in a duel with a Russian T-90 tank. The United States has sent Ukraine hundreds of M2/M3 Bradleys, and despite some losses, the combat vehicle has performed well in the conflict.
The M2 is the infantry fighting vehicle version designed to transport and support infantry in close quarters combat, while the M3 is the cavalry fighting vehicle version designed to conduct armed reconnaissance and support mechanized forces. The two combat vehicles are essentially the same, with the main differences being in the weapon systems they carry.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
