M2 Bradley: Infantry Fighting Vehicle Overview

The M2 Bradley has gotten complicated with all the replacement program cancellations, combat upgrades, and Ukraine deployments flying around. As someone who has tracked this fighting vehicle since the Pentagon Wars controversies, I learned everything there is to know about America’s primary infantry fighting vehicle. Today, I will share it all with you.

More Than a Personnel Carrier

The Bradley carries a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun firing 200 rounds per minute, a dual TOW anti-tank missile launcher, and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. That’s a lot of firepower for something originally designed to carry infantry. It seats three crew and six dismounts, weighs 27-33 tons depending on variant, and runs on a 600-horsepower Cummins diesel.

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. During Desert Storm, Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than M1 Abrams tanks did. That fact surprises everyone. The 25mm gun chewed through Iraqi APCs, and the TOW missiles handled anything heavier. The Bradley proved it wasn’t just a taxi — it was a fighting vehicle in every sense.

Evolution Through Combat

Each conflict taught lessons that drove upgrades. Aluminum armor got supplemented with reactive tiles. The Bradley Urban Survival Kit added protection for city fighting. Over 300 Bradleys went to Ukraine, where they’ve performed impressively against Russian forces. Crews report surviving direct hits from anti-tank missiles — testament to decades of protection improvements.

Replacement Drama

That’s what makes the Bradley endearing to us military vehicle watchers — it outlasts every program designed to replace it. The Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program has been canceled and restarted multiple times. Meanwhile, the Bradley keeps getting upgraded with better engines, digital systems, and enhanced armor. Over 6,700 have been built, and they’ll keep fighting well into the 2030s. Not bad for a vehicle that was once the butt of Pentagon jokes.