An interesting photo appeared, which was captured by Russia, the M2 Bradley Infantry Combat Vehicle (IFV) and was equipped with a Russian-made 30mm cannon to replace the vehicle's original bush M242 25mm automatic cannon. Whether the device is for operation, trial or for some different purposes is not known, but other unorthodox modifications to armored vehicles have also emerged since the beginning of the Ukrainian war.
Bradley seen in the photo is one of the examples that Ukrainian armed forces have largely captured. The location and date of the photos are unknown, as are the original sources, but the problematic Bradley appears to be in the warehouse along with other Western supplies captured by the Ukrainian armed forces.
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Someone wondered how the Russians used Bradley without ammunition. OK, that's it:
“Russian maintenance personnel installed a 30mm 2A72 cannon on the captured Bradley instead of the chain-driven Bushmaster.” pic.twitter.com/m4szhfvkqe
You can read all about Bradley and what it brought to Ukraine’s battle in this past feature.
Most interestingly, the Russian technician replaced the Jungle Master with what appeared to be a 30mm 2A72 cannon, which is probably the main gun for the BTR-82 wheeled armored personnel carrier.
The 2A72 is a weight development of the widely used 2A42 (also a 30mm weapon) that will attack Hakum and Mi-28 Havoc Havoc Attackersters against Hakum and Mi-28 Havoc Havoc Attackersters.
The 2A72 has a fire rate of 330 rounds per minute, bringing its ammunition to an effective range of nearly a mile. It's faster than the already impressive 200 launches per minute that the Shrub Masters are already impressive.
For soft targets such as infantry, the effective range of the 2A72 is increased to about 1.2 miles. Ammunition options include Armor-Ammunition Tracker (AP-T), High Explosive Debris Makeup (HEF-I) and High Explosive Tracker (HE-T) ammunition.
Video from the Russian Ministry of Defense shows that 2A72 shots were performed on the BTR-82A during the exercise:
As for the Jungle Master, this is a weapon we have discussed before, in the context of Bradley used by Ukraine. The Jungle Master can fire two different types of ammunition, fed from the box through the chute into the automatic loader. The gunman sits on the left side of the tank commander and can choose between High Explosion (HE) to hit lightly armored vehicles or exhausted uranium (DU) armored SABOT elastic bombs to hit more heavier armored vehicles such as IFVS and tanks. The Gunner can also choose between single pole or multi-gun modes.
“Our Du projectiles can hit one side of an armored personnel or infantry combat vehicle (such as BRDM or BMP) and then exit the other side and will have enough power to disable the other,” an armored expert told. twzspeaking anonymously.
Well-known videos show Ukrainian Bradleys fired 25mm of ammunition from a relatively close Russian T-90m main battle tank on the main Russian T-90m tank:
There are three things you can watch forever. Like this Ukrainian M2 Bradley IFV destroyed the Russian T-90M tank.
The 47th mechanized pair of Ukrainian M2A2 Bradley IFVs have successfully decided on the Russian T-90M in Stepove and followed up the FPV ammunition strike, resulting in the crew abandoning the damaged vehicle. pic.twitter.com/vor8iuvlbz
Starting in April 2023, the United States has provided Ukraine with examples of more than 300 M2A2 ODS versions. According to the Oryx open source tracking team, only its loss with visual confirmation was recorded, at least 12 Ukrainian Bradleys were captured by Russian troops and abandoned more Ukraines after being damaged or completely destroyed. At least some abandoned but still intact vehicles can also be found in the Russian hands and may have been repaired.
One possible reason behind the modification may be related to the operational use of Bradley captured by Russia.
There is evidence that Russia has made some limited use of the captured Bradley on the battlefield. At least one official video shows that Russian troops from the Central Army operated the captured Bradley after returning to run after being disabled in the mine. Once in Russia service, the vehicle installed an additional protection “Cope Cage” around the top of the hull.
The screenshot in the video shows Bradley in Russian service. Screenshot of the Russian Ministry of Defense
In the same video, a Russian soldier explained that Bradley's heavy armor, the size of the troops' compartment, and its complex fire control system, and most importantly.
Another soldier pointed out that they prefer the 30mm gun on the BMP-2 over the Jungle Master, suggesting that the original American gun is still suitable for vehicles, although its use will be limited by the limited supply of appropriate ammunition.
Gunner “Molfar”, 39, was the Bradle crew of the 47th Magura Mechanic Brigade, who participated in the battle to free the robot village from Russian troops, in his car, in the Zaporizhzhia Direction in southeastern Ukraine. Photography by Getty Image
Apparently, at least some frontline Russian units think it is worth operating the captured Bradleys, even if they are in small numbers, without supporting logistics chains or ammunition stocks.
We may also be working on the test device to check if Bradley can be re-armed with a Russian main gun.
It can even be used for propaganda purposes, with Russian guns for the jungle master to stand so that the vehicle can be demonstrated in parades or captured Western equipment.
Here you can read here, the captured Bradley (with original guns) was previously shown in the Russian trophy. This is perhaps even the most likely explanation given the popularity of such exhibitions.
Many onlookers greeted the captured Bradley during a railway propaganda tour in Russia. By x
There is also a precedent for the original gun that could be changed to capture armor, one of the M1A1 Abrams main chariots was displayed in Russia, while the broken barrel was reinstalled upside down.
In addition to providing publicity purposes, the captured Bradley also provided Russia with an opportunity to take a closer look at the western armor. Recently, Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, criticized a variety of different Western armored vehicles used by Ukraine, including Bradley, in an interview on the company's website.
Although Chemezov also highlights Bradley's good crew protection and internal layout, he expressed doubts about its tactical effectiveness.
“I think some experts, including our Bradley. It's unreasonable enthusiasm. We look at it in every way: Yes, it has some positive attitudes in terms of protection and comfort of the troop compartment. But that doesn't stop our weapons from destroying vehicles with crew and passengers,” he said.
On December 4, 2023, a Ukrainian soldier was seen near Bradley in Avdiivka, Donbas, Ukraine. Photos of Marek M. Berezowski/Anadolu by Getty Images Photos, Photos of Marek M. Berezowski/Anadolu by Getty Images
Chemezov further criticized Bradley's off-road mobility and lack of amphibious capabilities (a fundamental component of the Russian IFVS design spirit).
Chemezov continued, “It struggles off-road and gets stuck in black soil, becoming an easy target due to its large size. And what's the use of better protection if the result is the same? Nearly all Bradleys delivered to Ukraine have been destroyed. We have to remember, an IFV is not a tank. It should be fast, mobile, and capable of crossing rivers unaided. Our IFVs can do that, the American ones cannot.”
Of course, Chemezov's comment is Very His job is to sell competitor defense equipment to Russian states and the fact that fewer foreign customers are. Meanwhile, there are multiple instances of Bradley, Ukraine, recorded directly hits and withstand the impact of a drone strike or mine. The fact that Russia is even able to capture damaged vehicles and work again proves their durability.
On the other hand, Chemezov shows that Bradley of Ukraine has suffered a lot of losses. According to Oryx's figures, there is evidence that 177 Ukrainian Bradleys were destroyed, damaged, and then abandoned or captured. But as long as Russia can save the viable Bradley, they can use them even on a temporary basis only.
While it is unlikely that Russia will be able to assemble a large enough bradleys fleet to ensure a wider plan to refocus them with domestically produced guns, having at least one IFV with a Russian-made 30mm cannon-mounted look is certainly a notable novelty.
