How Bradley Fighting Vehicles Work

Before and during combat, the U.S. military uses the Bradley Fighting Vehicle to scout enemy positions and transport troops into hostile territory. This 500-horsepower, amphibious vehicle has enough armaments to destroy enemy tanks and provide protective fire for the troops it carries to battle.

Developed as a replacement for the M113 series of armored personnel carriers, the Bradley is more powerful and faster than its predecessor. There are two main variations of the Bradley: the M2 and the M3. The primary purpose of the M2 is to provide transport to battle, and the M3 is designed to battle enemy tanks and perform reconnaissance.

In this article, we'll ride into battle with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. You will learn about the Bradley's power and weaponry and how it was developed.

The Namesake

The Bradley is named for General Omar Nelson Bradley (1893 - 1981), who served as a brigadier general and major general for the United States in World War II. Bradley led forces in North Africa and Sicily, and later commanded American forces in the 1944 D-Day invasion to liberate France from German occupation.

Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949 - 1953) and was promoted to a 5-star general during his tenure in that post. Bradley died in 1981, the same year the vehicle bearing his name entered service.