M2A4 Bradley Specs, Variants, Cost and Operators

The M2A4 Bradley is the newest version of the US Army’s infantry fighting vehicle, a BAE Systems upgrade that pushes engine power to 675 horsepower and restores the mobility earlier armor additions had eaten away. With older Bradleys compiling an extensive combat record from Desert Storm to Ukraine, the A4 is the configuration the Army is buying while it waits for the XM30 replacement.

What is the M2A4 Bradley

The Bradley entered service in 1981 as America’s answer to the Soviet BMP, pairing a 25mm autocannon and TOW anti-tank missiles with an aluminum-hulled troop carrier. Decades of armor additions made late models heavy and underpowered, so the M2A4, first delivered in 2020, concentrates on the automotive side: a 675-horsepower engine, upgraded transmission, heavy-duty suspension and tracks, higher electrical output and digitized electronics. The follow-on M2A4E1 layers on improved sights, a new mission computer and an active protection system against incoming rockets and missiles.

M2A4 Bradley specifications

Bradley variants compared

The A4 matters because the Bradley had run out of growth. Iraq-era armor and jammers overloaded the A3’s drivetrain, and the Army’s two attempts to replace the vehicle outright both collapsed. Like the M1 Abrams, the Bradley is now managed as a bridge platform, kept credible until the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle arrives in the 2030s.

M2A4 Bradley combat record

Older Bradleys earned the type’s reputation. In the 1991 Gulf War, Bradleys were credited with destroying more Iraqi armored vehicles than the Abrams tanks they fought beside, and the vehicle served through the Iraq insurgency years despite losses to roadside bombs. Since 2023 the United States has transferred more than 300 M2A2 ODS-SA vehicles to Ukraine, where crews have reported the 25mm gun and TOW combination defeating Russian BMPs and, in one widely circulated January 2024 engagement near Avdiivka, disabling a T-90M tank; those results are operator-reported. Ukrainian crews have also praised the vehicle’s survivability, with operator-reported accounts of crews surviving mine strikes that destroyed the vehicle itself. The M2A4 specifically has not yet seen combat.

Who operates the Bradley and what comes next

The US Army is the primary operator, with thousands of Bradleys across armored brigade combat teams and prepositioned stocks; Ukraine is now the largest foreign user, ahead of small numbers in Lebanon and Croatia and Saudi Arabia’s earlier M2A2 purchase. BAE Systems converts earlier hulls to A4 standard in York, Pennsylvania. The wheeled Stryker covers the medium brigades, but in heavy formations the Bradley soldiers on, with A4 and A4E1 conversions funded year by year while the XM30 program matures.

M2A4 Bradley frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the M2A3 and M2A4 Bradley?

The A4 adds a 675 hp engine, new transmission, upgraded suspension and greater electrical power, restoring mobility and growth margin lost to added armor.

How many Bradleys has Ukraine received?

More than 300 M2A2 ODS-SA vehicles have been committed by the United States since January 2023, with attrition replacements following.

Can a Bradley destroy a tank?

Its TOW missiles are designed to, and Ukrainian crews have operator-reported disabling a Russian T-90M using 25mm fire and terrain tactics near Avdiivka in 2024.

What will replace the Bradley?

The XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, with American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systems competing to build prototypes for fielding in the 2030s.

How many soldiers fit in a Bradley?

Three crew and six dismounted infantry in the M2 infantry versions.