The Russian military’s admiration of the American-made Bradley M2A2 has led to a deep study of the infantry fighting vehicle. Recent reports suggest Russia will use the Bradley M2A2 to influence future vehicle designs.
It was previously reported that Russian analysts had praised the U.S. military’s M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), highlighting its ability to provide “rapid troop transport combined with massive firepower.”
Of course, it should be noted that the Kremlin has forced its troops to rely on civilian vehicles, motorcycles, and, in at least one instance, golf carts to advance on enemy positions.
Given the options, few would opt for a golf cart or dune buggy over a Bradley.
Still, the Russian analysis also found that the Bradley M2A2 had superior firepower to the Russian-made BMP-3. At the same time, the American vehicle offered better ease of access from the troop compartment to the fighting compartment and was easier to maintain.
A recently published research report, based on the analysis of Russia’s 38th Research Institute of Armored Vehicles, called for future designs to incorporate some of the Bradley’s attributes into future Russian IFVs.
Though the Bradley has been in service since the early 1980s, examples of the M2A2 models captured in Ukraine allowed the Russian researchers to get a firsthand look at the vehicle, and that included live fire ammunition tests.
“Having an actual vehicle does enable the Russians to confirm those reports (they may have been skeptical of the reporting and attributed some of those reports to western propaganda) and to understand the detailed materials and construction of the various components, in particular the armor protection, optics, and combat systems,” Col. J.D. Williams, USMC, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told Task & Purpose in an email.
The Russian Army Is Very Familiar with the Bradley M2A2
The praise isn’t just coming from official Kremlin analysis. As the Defense-Blog reported this week, some Russian units are now operating at least one captured Bradley M2A2.
Citing verified open-source intelligence, the news channel wrote, “Russia’s 155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade is now fielding a captured U.S.-supplied Bradley M2A2 ODS-SA Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) in the Kursk region.”
In total, the Kremlin’s troops are believed to have captured eleven of the U.S.-made IFVs. In addition to being put through live fire tests and detailed analysis, some Russian units have repurposed the vehicles. It is unclear if or how the Russian forces have been able to resupply the Bradley with ammunition.
The Russian Army Uses Captured Armored Vehicles Often
The use of captured vehicles isn’t uncommon, and there are numerous stories of Ukrainian forces refurbishing Russian vehicles, notably its famed T-90 main battle tanks (MBTs).
Since the earliest days of armored warfare, captured vehicles weren’t only evaluated and returned to service. In fact, during the First World War, while Germany only produced around twenty A7V tanks, it captured and repurposed around 170 British tanks and as many as 1,800 French tanks.
Yet, it is still surprising that Russian forces would employ a Bradley, given that it likely has captured too few to keep any operational, while the risk of coming under friendly fire seems significant.
Of course, the Bradley might be the safer option given the alternative, including riding in a golf cart to the front lines!
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ AnBoris.
