VERLIDEN WARMACHINES 5 M2/M3 BRADLEY INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE IFV CFV US ARMY

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DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

BRADLEY DESCRIBED

CAMOUFLAGE COLOR SCHEMES

COLOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS

STABILIZED TURRET – M242 25mm CHAIN GUN

TURRET HOISTING RINGS

CO-AXIAL M240 MAG-58 MACHINE GUN

THERMAL-IMAGING INTEGRATED SIGHT UNIT ISU

POWERPLANT: CUMMINS 500hp VTA-903T (TRANSMISSION, GENERATOR, COOLING FAN, RADIATOR)

M3A2 UPRATED 600hp ENGINE

HEADLIGHTS / BLACK-OUT DRIVE COVER / TURN INDICATOR / BLACK-OUT MARKER LIGHT

DRIVER’S HATCH

COMMANDER’S HATCH / PERISCOPES

GUNNER’S HATCH

CARGO HATCH COVER / PERISCOPES

ENGINE DECK / ENGINE COMPARTMENT COVER

VERTICAL HULL PLATE

ANTENNA MOUNT

EXTERNAL AXE AND SLEDGE HAMMER STOWAGE LOCATIONS

SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT

ERECTABLE WATER BARRIER

EXTERIOR STORAGE CONFIGURATIONS

AMMUNITION BOXES

TOW LAUNCH TUBE ASSEMBLY

SMOKE GRENADE LAUNCHERS

ADDITIONAL BOLT-ON ARMOR PLATES / ADVANCED LAMINATE ARMOR SYSTEM

FUEL SYSTEM

INTERIOR STOWAGE ARRANGEMENT

FIRE EXTINGUISHER STOWAGE

DRIVER’S STATION / COMPARTMENT

DRIVER’S CONTROL PANEL

RIGHT REAR COMPARTMENT

GUNNER’S STATION

AMMO STOWAGE RACKS

KEVLAR CURTAINS

INTERCOM SYSTEM

SQUAD AREA

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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense. It was named after U.S. General Omar Bradley.

The Bradley is designed to transport infantry or scouts with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy troops and armored vehicles. There are several Bradley variants, including the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. 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 two scouts in addition to the regular crew of three, with space for additional TOW missiles.

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. 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 (in the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle variant) or 1200 stowed rounds (in the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle variant). The two ready boxes allow a 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 tungsten APDS-T 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. Subsequent ammunition developments resulted in the M919 APFSDS-T (Armor-Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer) round, which contains a finned depleted uranium penetrator similar in concept to armor piercing munitions used in modern tanks. The M919 was used in combat during the 2003 invasion phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

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 on board, which was changed to fire TOW II missiles, from the M2A1 model onwards. M2 infantry Bradleys also have firing ports for a number of M231 Firing Port Weapons (FPWs), providing a means for the occupants to fire from within the vehicle and replacing the top-side gunners on the M113-based Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles (ACAV), though the M231 is rarely employed. Initial variants carried six in total, but the side ports were plated over with the new armor configuration on the A2 and A3 variants, leaving only the two rear-facing mounts in the loading ramp. No versions of the M3 CFV carry firing port weapons, though early versions had all six firing port mounts fitted and plated over, while newer versions retain the two ramp mounted firing ports though again, plated over.

The use of aluminum armor and the storage of large quantities of ammunition in the vehicle initially raised questions about its combat survivability. Spaced laminate belts and high hardness steel skirts have been added to improve the side protection of later versions, although this increases overall weight to 33 tons. However actual combat operations have not shown the Bradley to be deficient as losses have been few. In friendly fire incidents in Desert Storm, many crew members survived hits that resulted in total losses for lighter U.S. Marine Corps LAV-25 vehicles.

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.

During the Gulf War, M2 Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams. Twenty Bradleys were lost—three by enemy fire and 17 due to friendly fire incidents; another 12 were damaged. The gunner of one Bradley was killed when his vehicle was hit by Iraqi fire, possibly from an Iraqi BMP-1, during the Battle of 73 Easting. 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.

In the Iraq War, the Bradley proved somewhat vulnerable to improvised explosive device (IED) and rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attacks, but casualties were 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. By 2007, the Army had stopped using the M2 Bradley in combat, instead favoring more survivable MRAPs.

The M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) consists of four variants: the M2, M2A1, M2A2 and M2A3. Their main mission is to provide protected transport of an infantry squad (up to six passengers at a time) to critical points. Aside from carrying mechanized infantry into close contact with the enemy, the M2 can also provide overwatching fire to dismounting infantrymen. The M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle also has six external firing ports for the squad M231 Firing Port Weapon on the M2 and M2A1 versions only. Four ports were removed on the sides of the vehicle on the M2A2-A3 versions, and only 2 in the ramp remain. These ports allow passengers to engage the enemy from within the protection of the Bradley vehicle. These firing ports are almost always covered by additional armor kits and it is rare to see a Bradley with them operable. The proper use of M231 FPWs was rare in practice. It is adequately armored to provide protection against small arms fire and artillery, as well as being able to destroy any vehicle on the battlefield using its TOW or Stinger missiles.

The M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV) is virtually identical to the M2 Bradley except that it is equipped as a cavalry/scout vehicle. Instead of holding six infantrymen in the payload compartment, it is designed to seat two scouts and hold additional radios and ammunition. Also lacking are the six external firing ports present on the M2 Bradley IFV.