Summary
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a fighting vehicle platform of the United States manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It was named after U.S. General Omar Bradley.
The M2 Bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a squad of infantry, providing them protection from small arms fire, while also providing firepower to both suppress and eliminate most threats to friendly infantry. It is designed to be highly maneuverable and to be fast enough to keep up with heavy armor during an advance. The M2 holds a crew of three: a commander, a gunner and a driver, as well as six fully equipped soldiers.
The M6 Linebacker was a short-range air defense vehicle based on the M2A2ODS Bradley. The twin-tube TOW missile launcher was replaced by a standard vehicle mounted launcher holding four Stinger surface-to-air missiles, and a further six missiles were stowed in the passenger compartment. The M6 was provided with a digital compass that allowed the turret to automatically traverse onto a target that had been acquired by the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel acquisition radar. All M6s were converted into other Bradley variants by 2006.
The M993 carrier for the MLRS is based on components of the M2 and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. The ground contact length was extended, and the road wheels were grouped in three pairs. An extra return roller was added as well. The cab was provided with armored glass windows, and these were covered with armored shutters. The engine is located under the cab, and the cab can be pivoted to the front to allow access to the powerpack components. The carrier vehicle was provided with an NBC overpressure system. The first, fifth, and sixth road wheels stations were provided with a lock-out feature for use during firing and reloading. The rocket launcher loader module, designed by the Vought Corporation, holds two pods, with either six 227mm M26 rockets or one Army tactical missile system each. The rocket or missile pods are loaded via integral booms and hoists. The M270A1 incorporates upgrades in the fire control system and mechanical launch system. The M270A1 will also fire extended-range rockets. M270A1s were first fielded in September 2000.
Information and description from Wikipedia, Gary's Olive Drab Page, and the American Fighting Vehicle Database.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 9-B with 25mm autocannon (higher in bursts), likely 9-A with TOW missiles, 9-C with machine guns and FPWs | Likely 9-B with Stinger missiles | Likely 9-A with MFOM rockets, likely 8-C with ATACMS missile
Name: M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicle | M6 Linebacker Air Defense Vehicle | M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System
Origin: The Real World
Age: 1981–Present | 1997–2006 | 1983–Present
Classification: Infantry Fighting Vehicle | Air Defense Vehicle | Multiple Launch Rocket System
Length: 6.55 meters (21.49 feet) | 6.55 meters (21.49 feet) | 6.85 meters (22.47 feet)
Width: 3.61 meters (11.83 feet) | 3.61 meters (11.83 feet) | 2.97 meters (9.74 feet)
Height: 2.98 meters (9.78 feet) | 2.98 meters (9.78 feet) | 2.59 meters (8.5 feet)
Weight: 27.6 tonnes (30.4 tons) | ~29 tonnes (~32 tons) | 24.95 tonnes (27.5 tons)
Pilot(s): 3 (commander, driver, and gunner) plus 7 optional infantrymen (+2 scouts) | 3 (commander, driver, assistant gunner/loader, and gunner) | 3 (commander, driver, and gunner)
Necessary Prerequisites: Trained crew, fuel, ammunition
In use by: United States Army, several other countries
Powered by: Cummins VTA-903T 8-cylinder air-cooled turbo-supercharged diesel engine delivering 447 kilowatts (600 horsepower) at 2600 revolutions per minute
Operational Timeframe: At least 7 hours
Terrain: Ground
Material: 5083 and 7039 aluminum alloy, modern versions have additional steel/composite laminate armor of unspecified type as well as explosive reactive armor
Attack Potency: Wall level firing 25mm M242 autocannon (0.9–1.2 megajoules), higher in bursts (200–500 rounds per minute rate of fire); likely Small Building level firing TOW missiles (about 32–42 megajoules, can do significant damage to main battle tanks); Street level firing 7.62mm M240C machine gun (3.2–3.5 kilojoules); Street level firing 5.56mm M249 machine gun (about 1.7 kilojoules); Street level firing 5.56mm M231 Firing Port Weapons (about 1.5 kilojoules) | Likely Wall level+ firing FIM-92 Stinger missiles (about 15 megajoules, designed to literally shear aircraft bodies) | Likely Small Building level firing M31 rocket (about 500 megajoules, consistent with its performance on the battlefield), likely Building level firing MGM-168 missile (about 1.25 gigajoules, significantly stronger than MFOM rockets)
Speed: Superhuman, 61 kilometers per hour (38 miles per hour) max road speed; Supersonic+ for autocannon (1100+ m/s), Subsonic+ to Transonic for TOW missiles (278–320 m/s), Supersonic for machine guns and FPWs | Supersonic for Stinger missiles | At least Supersonic for MFOM rockets, Supersonic+ for ATACMS missiles (Mach 3+)
Lifting Strength: Unknown
Striking Strength: Wall level (A Bradley at full speed has kinetic energy of over 4 megajoules)
Durability: At least Wall level (7039 aluminium armor has a Brinell hardness of 133, equal to a tensile strength of about 517 megapascals, which gives it a shear strength of about 336 megapascals; protects against 14.5×114mm armor-piercing rounds), at most Building level in terms of total destruction (comprised of up to 30,400 kilograms of 7039 aluminium armor with a fragmentation energy of 3.73 gigajoules), likely higher (Modern variants have additional composite armor, which should be stronger than the base aluminium alloy. The additional armor protects against 30mm armor-piercing rounds). In addition, spaced armor and explosive reactive armor can mitigate or even negate otherwise deadly attacks from kinetic penetrator rounds and anti-armor rockets/missiles
Range: Operational range of 400 kilometers at 61 kilometers per hour (248.5 miles at 38 miles per hour); up to over 3 kilometers with 25mm autocannon, up to over 4 kilometers with TOW missile, up to over 1.1 kilometers with 7.62mm machine gun, up to over 800 meters with 5.56mm machine gun, up to 300 meters with 5.56mm FPWs | up to over 8 kilometers with Stinger missile | 32–60 kilometers with MFOM rockets, 140–300 kilometers with ATACMS missiles
Weaknesses: Must stop moving to fire and guide TOW missiles, TOW missile guidance requires constant line-of-sight targeting | Requires information from an AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel or other radar system to track aircraft properly. Stinger missiles can be fooled by defensive flares and lack anti-armor capability | Lacks self-defense weapons
Weaponry (M2A4 Bradley):
- 1×25mm M242 autocannon in turret with up to 900 rounds
- 2×BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles in twin-tube launcher to the left side of turret with up to 5 additional missiles in storage
- 1×7.62mm M240C machine gun in turret coaxial mount with up to 2200 rounds
- 1×5.56mm M249 SAW Commander's Light Automatic Weapon (CLAW) in remote-controlled mount with up to ? rounds (Optional)
- 2×5.56mm M231 Firing Port Weapons in rear hatch firing ports with up to ? rounds (Optional)
Weaponry (M6 Linebacker):
- 1×25mm M242 autocannon in turret with up to 600 rounds
- 4×FIM-92 Stinger anti-air missiles in quad-tube launcher to the left side of turret with up to 6 additional missiles in storage
- 1×7.62mm M240C machine gun in turret coaxial mount with up to 3600 rounds
- 1×5.56mm M249 SAW Commander's Light Automatic Weapon (CLAW) in remote-controlled mount with up to ? rounds (Optional)
- 2×5.56mm M231 Firing Port Weapons in rear hatch firing ports with up to ? rounds (Optional)
Weaponry (M270A1 MLRS):
- 12×M26/M31 MFOM rockets in launcher
OR
- 2×MGM-140, MGM-164, or MGM-168 ATACMS missiles in launcher
- 1×7.62mm M240 machine gun in cupola mount with up to ? rounds (Optional)
Note: Similar vehicles of about the same type and period generally have performance equivalent to this one
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