M2 Bradley IFV
M2 Bradley is the main fighting vehicle for the US Army on the battlefield. The M2 Bradley has a strategic role when infantry troops get into the battlefield, M2 Bradley comes to conduct reconnaissance and overcome the threat posed by the enemy by firing from the cannons and machine guns. The Bradley IFV has a top speed of 41 miles per hour.
The main armaments of the M2 Bradley are the M242 “Bushmaster” 25 mm, and the M240C machine gun. The secondary armament of M2 Bradley is twin TOW anti-tank missiles in a rectangular compartment on the left side.
M242 “Bushmaster” 25 mm
This cannon is very feared by the enemy because of its accurate firing ability and can reach a distance of 2500m at a speed of 200 rounds per minute. This is truly an awesome weapon that the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle has.
Twin TOW anti-tank missile launchers
The TOW anti-tank missile system in M2 Bradley has a twin-tube TOW mounted in a rectangular box compartment that was put on the left side of the M242 Bushmaster. When this weapon fires a missile at an enemy, the target is tracked using optical sight and the TOW missile can reach the target with a maximum range of 3.75 km. To use the Twin TOW anti-tank missile, the M2 Bradley must be in immovable condition.
M240C machine gun
The M240C machine gun is a right-hand variant of the M240 machine gun. The M240C is suitable for installation in combat vehicles because it can be placed close to the main weapon. This machine gun is not designed to be held directly by hand this causes the barrel to open, so it is necessary to use gloves to overcome this.
M2 Bradley Upgrade
The latest version of the M2 Bradley is called the M2A4. The M2 Bradley upgrade was carried out by BAE Systems and Land Armament as prime contractors, costing $347 million. This upgrade includes 2 important components
1. Suspension upgrade
Suspension enhancements on the M2A4 include a new suspension support system to increase weight, new shock absorbers to withstand greater loads, torsion bars that have a stronger capacity, and lighter tracks to make movement easier.
2. Upgrade Generator and Added Power Distribution System
Due to the increased weight of the latest M2 Bradley, BAE System had to increase its power capacity to 675 HP. This generator system has 75 HP more power than the previous generator which only had 600 HP.
The Previous Upgrade: M2A3 Bradley
The previous version of the M2 Bradley upgrade was called the M2A3 Bradley, this version has several modern integrated systems including the Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV), from Raytheon and The Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem (IBAS) for TOW missiles from DRS Technologies.
The Next M2 Bradley Upgrade: M2A5 Was Canceled in 2019
Plans for a further upgrade from the M2A4 to the M2A5 encountered obstacles, the component to be upgraded was to replace the 25mm Bushmaster with a 30mm Bushmaster. However, the plan was canceled in 2019.