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M2 and M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Systems (BFVS)
The M2/M3 BFVS family consists of infantry fighting vehicles, the cavalry fighting vehicles and derivatives (модифікований варіант) of these vehicles including: Bradley fire support team vehicles (бойові машини групи вогневої підтримки) and the command group vehicle (командно-штабна машина) variants.
The mission of the BFV is to provide mobile protected transport of an infantry squad to critical points (тактично важливий пункт) on the battlefield and to perform cavalry scout missions. The BFVS will also provide overmatching fires (підтримуючий вогонь з місця) to support dismounted infantry and to suppress or defeat enemy tanks and other fighting vehicles.
The BFV is a fully armored, fully tracked vehicle designed to carry mechanized infantry into close contact with the enemy. It possesses sufficient cross-country mobility to keep up with the Abrams main battle tank, medium and long-range firepower capable of defeating any vehicle on the battlefield, and is adequately armored to protect the crew from artillery and small arms threats.
The Bradley is able to close with and destroy enemy forces in support of mounted and dismounted infantry and cavalry combat operations. The BFV family currently consists of two vehicles: the M2 infantry fighting vehicle and the M3 cavalry fighting vehicle. Just as with its predecessor, the M113 family, the Bradley will eventually be the platform for a wide range of support vehicles (бойова машина забезпечення).
Initially the Bradley was protected against 14.5 mm projectiles on all sides. The M2A2 provided protection against 30 mm projectiles on all sides, and added spall liners (підбій броні для захисту від осколків броні). The M2A3 added titanium roof armor. The BFV, while having better armor protection than the M113, lacks adequate armor protection to withstand medium to heavy ATGM fire (витримувати обстріл протитанкової керованої ракети). Man-portable anti-tank and anti-vehicular weapons such as the rocket propelled grenade (RPG-7) (реактивна граната) are capable of penetrating 12 inches of steel.
The Bradley’s main armament is the M242 25 mm “Bushmaster” chain gun (автоматична швидкострільна авіаційна пушка), manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The M242 has a single barrel with an integrated dual-feed mechanism (механізм з подачею двох видів боєприпасів) and remote ammunition selection. Either armor piercing (AP) or high explosive (HE) ammunition may be selected with the flick of a switch. The Gunner may select from single or multiple shot modes. The standard rate of fire is 200 rounds per minute, and has a range of 2,000 meters (depending on the ammunition used). A wide range of ammunition has been developed for this weapon, making it capable of defeating the majority of armored vehicles it is likely to encounter (зіткнутися ), up to and including some main battle tanks. The M240C machine gun, mounted to right of the Bushmaster, fires 7.62 mm rounds.
When facing heavier enemy armor the Bradley relies on the TOW Anti-Tank Missile, manufactured by the Hughes Aircraft. Launched from a smooth tube launcher, the missile’s wings and tail fins are folded inside its body until launch. Two of these missiles are carried ready to fire in a collapsible, armored launch rack (складна броньована обертальна пускова установка) on the left of the turret. The Bradley must stop in order to fire these missiles, which are then reloaded by the infantrymen in the back of the vehicle, using a special hatch which provides armor protection during the reload operation. The missile is equipped with a massive shaped charge (кумулятивний) high explosive warhead and is propelled by a two-stage solid propellant motor. The range of the TOW missile is nearly 4 kilometers and the missile will reach a speed of almost Mach 1 on its way to the target. This weapon is capable of destroying any armored vehicle in existence today and is deadly accurate.