M2 and M3 Bradley - USA: books - history and technology

M2 / M3 Bradley - America's Cavalry/Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Legends of Warfare)

Since the 1980s, the American M2/M3 Bradley has overcome its controversial debut, and is now regarded as among the finest cavalry/infantry fighting vehicles in the world. This book is a concise look at the background, development, and Army operational history of the Bradley from the 1980s to the present.

The author, who brings a unique perspective and authority as a Bosnia veteran and former M1A1 tank gunner with the United States Army's 1/104th Cavalry, was granted behind-the-scenes access to the US Army's collection of rare vehicles at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
He also includes the Bradley's service in lesser known places-not just Iraq and Afghanistan-such as Cold War Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Korea, and Africa. The book is superbly illustrated with more than 200 color images. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Bradley Fighting Vehicle- The US Army's Combat-Proven Fighting Platform 1981-2021 (Land Craft)

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle was developed in the 1970s to counter the new Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. Designed to survive the imagined high-intensity, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) battlefield of the Cold War, it became, alongside the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the mainstay of US armoured forces during the 1980s.

As the Cold War ended, however, it would go on to prove its worth on other battlefields. During the First Gulf War the Bradley would destroy more Iraqi AFVs than the Abrams, while during the 1990s it would prove itself an effective weapons system in the missions to Bosnia and Kosovo.
During the 2003 invasion of the Iraq and the fighting that followed it confirmed its reputation as a versatile and deadly AFV.

This volume examines the development and service history of both the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. The various modifications and improvements over its long service history are described, as is the experience of the soldiers who have fought alongside and in it during the past three decades.
The book also gives a full account of the wide range of kits and accessories available in all the popular scales and includes a modelling gallery covering the most important Bradley variants. Detailed colour profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.

M2 / M3 Bradley : Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, made famous through extensive media coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is given an in-depth examination in this volume. Drawing on the lessons learned in Vietnam, the Bradley was built to provide a highly mobile platform from which infantry could be inserted into the battlefield, and from which the infantry could operate. Its use soon expanded to that of a scout vehicle with anti-tank capability.

Despite initial criticism from Congress, the Bradley proved itself very capable on the battlefield, destroying more Iraqi armored vehicles than did the famed Abrams tanks. Through extensive photo coverage, most never before published, this book explores the many variations of the Bradley, including the heavily armed M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.

Through hundreds of color photos, the bulk previously unpublished, this book explores America's premier Infantry Fighting Vehicle in an unprecedented level of detail. Go inside and out the modern-day icon, then ride it into battle through they myriad of photos presented in this book.
See why Bradley remains one of the most formidable armored combat vehicles of its class, even as it logs over 35 years of service.

Bradley - A History of American Fighting and Support Vehicles

This entry in R. P. Hunnicutt's unrivaled 10-volume history of American armored fighting vehicles focuses on the spectrum of armored personnel carriers with a focus on the Bradley fighting vehicle (BFV).
Operations in WWII indicated a need for an armored vehicle with improved protection and reliable mobility for transporting soldiers in and out of battle. To address this need, development began on full-tracked armored personnel carriers with overhead protection before WWII came to a close.
Development continued into the postwar period. One result of this program was the M59 armored infantry vehicle, which was pioneered as a low-production-cost vehicle and had the added benefit of being amphibious, a quality that became required in all armored personnel carriers that succeeded it.

In his trademark style, Hunnicutt surveys the development of each armored personnel carrier since the end of WWII, illustrating his detailed history with line drawings and photographs. He covers the development of the M113, which was employed successfully in Vietnam and served as the basis for a family of vehicles ranging from armored combat vehicles to unarmored cargo carriers. The success of the M113 as a fighting vehicle gave rise to the development of the Bradley fighting vehicle, which was intended for use by both infantry and cavalry units.

With all the detail and precision readers have come to expect from R. P. Hunnicutt's histories of American armored vehicles, "Bradley" is the definitive work on the history of American fighting and support vehicles. An absolute must-have for anyone interested in American military history.

M2 / M3 Bradley - Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1983-95 (Osprey)

One of the most sophisticated armoured fighting vehicles in the world, the M2/M3 Bradley is the United States equivalent of the British Warrior, combining the role of personnel carrier with the formidable armament of a 25mm cannon and TOW anti-tank missiles. With a maximum road speed of 66kmh it also has a degree of manoeuvrability dreamed of by other armoured vehicles.

In this book Steven Zaloga examines the different variants of the Bradley in detail and looks at the changing tactical requirements of the US Army for an armoured personnel carrier.

Contents: Design and Development - The Vietnam Detour - Bradley Development Begins - The Bradley Compared - Modernisation - Performance in 'Desert Storm' - Variants.

Bradley vs BMP - Desert Storm 1991 (Osprey)

In the mid-1960s, the Soviet Union unveiled the BMP, the first true infantry fighting vehicle. A revolutionary design, the BMP marked a significant departure from the traditional armoured personnel carrier, with a lower silhouette and heavier armament than rival APCs.

One of the most fearsome light-armoured vehicles of its day, it caused great consternation on the other side of the Iron Curtain as the Americans scrambled to design a machine to rival the BMP. The result was the M2/M3 Bradley.
These Cold War icons first clashed - not on the plains of Europe, but in southern Iraq during the Gulf War of 1991.

Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this is the absorbing story of the origins, development and combat performance of the BMP and Bradley, culminating in the bloody battles of the Gulf War.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - The Strategic Situation - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Conclusion - Further Reading - Index.