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United States BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems)
M2A3 Bradley
Tracked infantry fighting vehicle that has been the U.S. Army's primary mechanized infantry carrier since the 1980s, combining a 25 mm cannon with TOW anti-tank missiles and digital battle-management systems in the A3 upgrade.
In service since 1995 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
66
km/h
400
km range
21.1
hp/t
25
mm gun
27,600
kg
💲 ≈ $4,200,000, Approximate unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1995. Status: active · ~6,720 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$11M – $15M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 66 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 400 km |
| Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility. | 21.1 hp/t |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 7.62 mm M240C machine gun, BGM-71 TOW launcher |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 25 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 900 |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Aluminum and spaced laminate armor with appliqué steel |
|---|---|
| Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets. | Yes |
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | smoke grenade launchers |
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 6.55 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3.6 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 2.98 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 27,600 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 3 |
| Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more. | 6 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Cummins VTA-903T diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 600 hp |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem |
|---|---|
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from. | 25 mm |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $4,200,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 6,720 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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M2A3 Bradley vs
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Bushmaster Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley has a maximum speed of 66 km/h.
What is the range of the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley has a maximum range of 400 km.
How much does the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley weigh? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley has a combat weight of 27,600 kg.
How many crew does the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley require? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley requires a crew of 3.
What is the main armament of the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley's primary weapon is the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun.
What engine does the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley use? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley is powered by the Cummins VTA-903T diesel.
What is the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley used for? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley is a ifv / apc typically used for infantry combat, anti armor.
How many countries operate the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley cost? +
The BAE Systems Inc. (US Land Systems) M2A3 Bradley has an approximate unit cost of 4,200,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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