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The power of the 25mm chain gun: How does Bradley's main weapon change the war?
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked armored combat vehicle from the United States that has played an important role in the U.S. military since the 1970s. The Bradley, with many variants, is not only used to transport infantry, but also provides fire support, especially the 25mm chain gun it carries, which makes it have considerable deterrence and strike capabilities on the battlefield. The development of this weapon not only changed the structure of the unit's military power, but also had a profound impact on the tactics of the war.
Original intention and background
Bradley was designed mainly to deal with the Soviet BMP series infantry combat vehicles. At that time, the US military needed a piece of equipment that could not only ensure the safety of infantry but also provide firepower support in armored confrontation. Therefore, Bradley not only needs to use steel alloy material to increase protection, but also needs to maintain speed consistency with the M1 Abram main battle tank in order to maintain the overall performance of formation operations on the battlefield.
The power of 25mm chain gun
The main weapon of Bradley's M2 and M3 models is the 25mm M242 Bashmas chain gun. This weapon can launch velocity of 300 rounds per minute and has a range of up to 1.9 miles (about 3,000 meters), with considerable accuracy and power for the 1910s weapon system.
Such firepower can not only quickly suppress enemy firepower, but also effectively destroy enemy armored vehicles, reflecting Bradley's multiple combat capabilities.
Applications in conflict
In the 1991 Gulf War, Bradley's record was quite impressive. The vehicle destroyed more armored Iraqi vehicles than the M1 Ablan tank. At that time, Bradley became a deadly weapon on the desert battlefield with his superior mobility and firepower. Although a friendly attack incident occurred during the war, which showed operational shortcomings, it still could not conceal its significant contribution to military achievements. It can be said that the deployment of Bradley combat vehicles gives the US military more flexible and effective combat choices when facing the enemy.
Advances in Armor and Protection Measures
As the war progressed, Bradley faced more and more new challenges, and his protective measures were upgraded many times. Although the early aluminum alloy armor was lightweight, it exposed its fragility in high-intensity combat. Later models improved their overall survivability by adding composite armor and smoke bomb launchers. This undoubtedly makes Bradley the main force on the battlefield.
Future development
In order to cope with the updated war environment and combat needs, Bradley's upgrades are underway, and more modern configurations may appear in the future, including enhanced armor, enhanced firepower, and even experimental applications of unmanned driving technology. All of these indicate that Bradley will continue to play an important role in future military conflicts.
And in the current Ukrainian War, Bradley's upgraded model has been re-instated, and its effectiveness has been proven again.
The existence of Bradley combat vehicles, the evolving weapon systems, and their performance in major conflicts made it an integral part of the U.S. ground forces. In the future war, will this armored vehicle continue to change the pattern of the battlefield and weigh the innovation of weapon technology and the evolution of tactics? Perhaps it is a question worth our deep consideration?
