Ukrainian Bradley outlasts Russian tanks in fierce battles

Near Pokrovsk, intense battles are ongoing, and it's evident that the 425th Independent Assault Battalion "Skala," one of the elite Ukrainian units, has reached the front line. This formation is often deployed to areas where the situation is serious, similar to the elements of the 3rd Azov Assault Brigade or the 47th Mechanized Brigade.

Below, you can see the assault of the M2A2 Bradley, initially firing its guns with high-explosive incendiary ammunition, M792 HEI-T, at the tree line where Russians might be, thus protecting the week-old assault group during the approach to the trenches.

The Russians then attempted to counterattack with an FPV drone, which got caught in the protective netting, along with some anti-tank guided missile or anti-tank grenade, which, despite hitting, did not have a significant impact on the Bradley.

M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles were used during the First Gulf War. After modifications in the '90s to the ODS variant, they became a threat to Russians in Ukraine. Although they are a design from the 1990s, their performance lags behind that of the CV90 or Lynx, but they still perform well.

It's also worth noting that Ukraine received significantly more Bradleys than similar vehicles from other Western countries. As a result, it's become the equipment of choice for many highly motivated battalions, contributing to high combat effectiveness.

The M2A2 Bradley is a 30-tonne vehicle, with armour providing all-around protection against fire from heavy machine guns with a calibre of 14.5×114 mm like the KPV, and the front is able to withstand fire from 30 mm automatic cannons.

In addition, reactive armour blocks, BRAT, can be added to the vehicle, providing excellent protection against single-warhead anti-tank grenades like the PG-7VL, capable of penetrating 500 mm of steel armour, or anti-tank guided missiles. It's also evident that crews stretch nets over their vehicles intended to neutralize FPV drones, which can sometimes work.

Thanks to its good mine resistance, a vehicle has been achieved that can withstand even more than Russian tanks and provides very good protection for the three-member crew and seven-member infantry. However, it's an outdated machine, and the US Army is actively looking for its successor.

Regarding armament, the Bradley is equipped with a 25 mm Bushmaster automatic cannon, a 7.62×51 mm NATO machine gun, and a dual TOW-2B missile launcher. The main gun has a range of over 3 kilometres and can fire either armour-piercing or high-explosive incendiary rounds. In tank combat, the main weapon is the TOW-2B missiles, with a range of over 3 kilometres.

Even though it's an older generation system requiring missile guidance until hitting the target, its EFP warhead, attacking the tank's weakest upper armour, is still adequate.