M2 Bradley
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).
| 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 | Persian Gulf War Waco siege Iraq War Yemeni Civil War Syrian Civil War Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | United Defense (1981–1995) BAE Systems Platforms & Services (since 2004) |
| 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 | |
Main armament |
|
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 Bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a squad of infantry, 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.