Bradley Vehicles: Ukraine's 'Legend' in Defying Russian Armour
The M2 Bradley is now a regular sight on the front in Ukraine, gaining recognition from both sides of the conflict. One of these vehicles, captured by Putin's army, became a spectacle, displayed at a railway platform in numerous Russian cities. The Russians transported the captured Bradley under Avdiivka to showcase the "strength of the Russian army in the fight against Ukrainians".
The aggressor's army has good reason to boast about the captured trophy. The American combat vehicle is currently one of the more coveted pieces of equipment that the Russian Federation's troops pursue. Bradley has demonstrated in recent months that it is an exceptionally robust construction that can easily rival Putin's most formidable tanks, the T-90M Proryv. Moreover, the vehicle from the US emerged unscathed after driving over a mine, which, despite the explosion, did not immobilize the vehicle.
It's worth noting that Bradley survived an encounter with a Russian T-72 tank last year and was also not taken out after an attack from a BM-21 launcher. Recently, a video surfaced online showing Bradley after being hit twice by anti-tank guided missiles. The vehicle also came out of this attack with minimal damage. Therefore, it's not surprising that the Ukrainian authorities have dubbed Bradley a "legend." They highlight its "effectiveness in destroying the enemy," a claim the vehicle has validated during the conflicts in Ukraine.
Bradley Combat Vehicles
While M2 Bradley vehicles are now considered among the finest armored combat vehicles globally, their history dates back to the 1970s. It was then that the production of these machines, currently wreaking havoc in the ranks of the Russian army, began.
The effective attacks in the Bradley are made possible by the M242 Bushmaster cannon with a caliber of 25 mm (about 1 inch), paired with a 7.62 mm caliber machine gun. Powered by a 500 or 600 horsepower engine (depending on the model), the vehicle boasts high mobility in challenging terrains and can reach speeds of up to 69 km/h (43 mph). In water, the American machine can also move with ease, reaching speeds of nearly 10 km/h (6 mph).
Bradley's additional advantage is its significant range on a single tank of fuel, which is around 500 km (310 miles). Besides, depending on the purpose of the vehicle, the armament varies, but in the basic variant, the armour consists of a blend of steel, aluminium, and composites, proving difficult for the tanks used by Russians to penetrate.
