The M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle entered U.S. Army service in 1981, with full fielding beginning in 1983. Developed to answer the Soviet BMP family of infantry fighting vehicles, it was intended to serve both as an armored troop carrier and as a tank-killer. The Bradley provided protection for a nine-man rifle squad while maintaining enough speed and mobility to maneuver alongside the new M1 Abrams main battle tank. It carried a three-man crew—commander, gunner, and driver—and could transport six fully equipped infantrymen as passengers. Design work began in the 1960s, but it was not until the late 1970s that the Bradley took shape as a combat-ready vehicle. The key requirement was that it had to keep up with Abrams tanks in offensive operations, something the older M113 armored personnel carrier could not do. To meet this need, the Bradley combined speed, firepower, and protection. Its primary weapon was the M242 25 mm autocannon with dual-feed capability, allowing crews to quickly switch between armor-piercing and high-explosive ammunition. It carried 300 ready rounds with 600 more in reserve. A coaxial M240C 7.62 mm machine gun provided additional firepower. For engaging tanks and heavier armored threats, the Bradley mounted a TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher, later upgraded to fire the TOW II missile. Over time, the vehicle’s armament was modernized. The introduction of the M919 depleted uranium APFSDS-T round increased its ability to deal with armored threats. Initial Bradleys also had multiple firing ports for infantry weapons, but these were largely eliminated in later versions to make space for additional armor. Despite concerns over survivability due to its aluminum hull and internal ammunition storage, combat experience in the Persian Gulf War showed the Bradley to be durable. In many cases, crews survived hits that destroyed lighter vehicles such as the Marine Corps’ LAV-25. Armor protection evolved with successive variants. The original M2 used aluminum hull construction with steel applique armor sufficient to withstand heavy machine gun fire. The M2A2 introduced significant upgrades, including thickened steel plates, spaced laminate armor, and Kevlar spall liners. This additional protection increased the vehicle’s weight and eliminated its original amphibious capability. Later versions integrated options for explosive reactive armor, smoke grenade launchers, and eventually active protection systems. By the 2020s, the Army began fielding Israeli-designed Iron Fist active protection on selected Bradleys to counter modern anti-tank weapons. The Bradley chassis was built on a welded aluminum monocoque design, with torsion bar suspension and six roadwheels per side. Originally designed to float with a deployable flotation curtain, the system was abandoned once the vehicle received heavier armor packages. Despite this, the Bradley maintained excellent cross-country mobility, meeting its original requirement to operate in tandem with the Abrams. Squad organization inside the Bradley evolved alongside the vehicle. Early versions carried six dismounts, requiring rifle squads to be split across vehicles. The M2A2 and M2A3 reorganized internal stowage to fit seven dismounts, allowing platoons to field three full nine-man squads distributed across four Bradleys. This arrangement still forced squads to split between vehicles, a challenge in combat situations, but provided enough space for supporting personnel like medics and forward observers when unit strength was below authorized levels. By 2000, the Bradley program had produced over 1,600 vehicles, with a program cost of more than $5.6 billion. The average cost per unit was just over $3 million, equivalent to nearly $6 million in 2025. Despite its age, upgrades to armor, electronics, and survivability have kept the Bradley in service. While the U.S. Army has considered replacements, the vehicle continues to serve as the backbone of American mechanized infantry formations well into the twenty-first century.