Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Bradley Fighting Vehicle
A U.S. Army M2 Bradley on display at Fort Irwin, California, in 2013
Type	Armored fighting vehicle Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1981–present
Used by	§ Operators
Production history
Designer	FMC Corporation
Designed	1963–1981
Manufacturer	United Defense (1981–1995) BAE Systems Platforms & Services (since 2004)
Produced	1981–1995 (United Defense) 2004–present (BAE Systems Platforms & Services)
No. built	6724[1]
Variants	§ Variants
Specifications
Mass	30.4 short tons (27.6 t)
Length	21.5 ft (6.55 m)
Width	12 ft (3.6 m)
Height	9.8 ft (2.98 m)
Crew	3 + variable number of passengers depending on variant
Armor	Spaced laminate armor: 14.5–30 mm all-around AP protection (depending on variant) Explosive reactive armor for RPG protection[2][3]
Main armament	25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun 2× BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile
Secondary armament	7.62 mm M240C machine gun
Engine	Cummins VTA-903T diesel 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight	19.7 horsepower per short ton (16.2 kW/t)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational range	250 mi (400 km)
Maximum speed	35 mph (56 km/h)

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked armored fighting vehicle of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and now manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named for 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. Variants include the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the M3 Bradley reconnaissance vehicle. The M2 holds a crew of three—a commander, a gunner and a driver—along with six fully equipped soldiers. The M3 mainly conducts scout missions and carries two scout troopers in addition to the regular crew of three, with space for additional BGM-71 TOW missiles.

In 2014, the U.S. Army selected BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) proposal of a turretless variant of the Bradley to replace over 2,800 M113 armored personnel carriers.^[4] Some 2,907 surplus Bradleys will be modified to become AMPVs for the U.S. Army.