M2 Bradley

M2 Bradley
M2 Bradley
	An M2A1 Bradley during Operation Desert Shield, January 1991
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1981–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Gulf War; Iraq War; Yemeni Civil War; Syrian Civil War; Russo-Ukrainian War;
Production history
Manufacturer	United Defense (1981–1995); BAE Systems Platforms & Services (since 2004);
Unit cost	$3,166,000 in 1998.
Produced	1981–1995 (United Defense); 2004–present (BAE Systems Platforms & Services);
Specifications
Mass	27.6 short tons (25.0 t)
Length	21.49 ft (6.55 m)
Width	11.82 ft (3.60 m)
Height	9.78 ft (2.98 m)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Passengers	6 (7 in M2A2 ODS/M2A3/M2A4)
Armor	Spaced laminate armor offering 14.5 mm all around protection. Hull base is 7017 aluminum
Main; armament	25 mm M242 chain gun (900 rounds); 2 × TOW anti-tank missile launchers (7 missiles);
Secondary; armament	7.62 mm coaxial M240C machine gun (2,200 rounds)
Engine	Cummins VTA-903T 8-cylinder diesel; 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight	16.18 kW/tonne (21.7 hp/tonne)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational; range	300 mi (480 km)
Maximum speed	40 mph (64 km/h); 40 km/h off-road; 7.2 km/h in water

The M2 Bradley, or Bradley IFV, is an American infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle family. It is manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments (formerly United Defense) and entered service in 1981, with fielding beginning in 1983.

The Bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a nine-man rifle squad, providing them protection from small arms fire, while providing firepower to both suppress and eliminate most threats to friendly infantry. It is designed to be highly maneuverable and to be fast enough to keep up with heavy armor during an advance. The M2 holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner, and a driver, and can carry six fully equipped soldiers as passengers.

In the year 2000 the total cost of the program was US$5,664,100,000 for 1,602 units, giving an average unit cost of $3,166,000, equivalent to $4,122,000 in 2022.^[3]

^ Pike, John (1999-01-03). "M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 1999-10-13.
^ "M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles > Armoured". Armed Forces International. Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
^ "M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 2010-04-21.

[1] Pike, John (1999-01-03). "M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 1999-10-13.

[2] "M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles > Armoured". Armed Forces International. Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2011-03-03.

[3] "M2A3 and M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 2010-04-21.

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