Ukrainians deploy battle-tested M2A2 Bradley against Russian advance
Ukrainians are engaged in heavy fighting for the town of New York, located in the Donetsk region. The famous M2A2 Bradley ODS infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) are also used there. We present the performance of this machine.
In recent weeks, the Russians have managed to break into New York and establish a foothold. After the initial surprise, the Ukrainians try to dislodge the Russians using their latest equipment.
In the footage below, you can see an M2A2 Bradley IFV belonging to the 425th Assault Battalion, along with eight dismount soldiers, conducting a "clearing" of part of the buildings from Russians under the supervision of a drone with thermal imaging.
M2A2 Bradley ODS — a deadly relic for Russians from the Gulf War era
The Ukrainians have received many modern armoured vehicles and tanks, and one of the most valuable deliveries was several hundred M2A2 Bradley ODS (Operation Desert Storm) IFVs. This variant was developed in the early 1990s based on experiences from Operation Desert Storm.
The base model was the M2A2 Bradley, already in service for a decade, which was improved by adding a new laser rangefinder and upgrading the fire control system with a newer thermal sight.
M2A2 Bradley ODS — truly a "tough guy"
The M2A2 Bradley ODS weighs approximately 27,000 kilograms, which is not a large weight compared to newer competitors like the CV90 or Puma, whose weight reaches around 40,000 kilograms. Despite this, the M2A2 Bradley provides good protection for the three-member crew and formally for six dismounted soldiers (in Ukraine, it can usually be seen transporting even eight soldiers).
The basic armour protects against fire from heavy machine guns of 14.5mm calibre, while the front armour can withstand 20mm rounds fired from 2A42 automatic cannons. But that's not all, as the Bradley can be fitted with BRAT reactive armour blocks, providing high resistance to anti-tank hand-held weapons fire.
It offers protection against PG-7VL grenades capable of penetrating 500mm of armour steel, commonly mounted on FPV drones. Thanks to this, Bradley can withstand even several hits, as has already been evidenced. The M2A2 Bradley also provides good crew protection when driving over anti-tank mines.
Armament adapted to combat a wide range of targets
The M2A2 Bradley is equipped with an extensive set of armaments, enabling the neutralisation of various targets, from infantry to tanks. The main armament is the M242 Bushmaster 25mm automatic cannon, capable of firing 200 rounds per minute at an effective range of about 2 kilometres. This cannon can use both armour-piercing and high-explosive incendiary M792 HEI-T ammunition.
The M792 HEI-T rounds, very popular among Ukrainian crews, contain 184-gram projectiles, about 28 grams of which are powerful RDX material. The remaining projectile includes a steel casing that forms fragments and an incendiary material. The projectile's effective range is several metres, and the tracer, which is a burning element at the back of the projectile, provides the shooter with feedback on the accuracy of the fire.
The M2A2 Bradley has a double launcher for BGM-71F (TOW 2B) anti-tank-guided missiles to combat heavy targets such as tanks. These missiles can destroy tanks at a distance of up to 3.7 kilometres and attack the weakest upper armour. However, this older generation system requires manual missile guidance until it hits the target and can only be used while stationary.
