Summary and Key Points: Russia has captured at least eleven American-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles provided to Ukraine, now employing them against Ukrainian forces.
-Initially praised by Ukrainian troops for its agility, maneuverability, and firepower, the Bradley has proved vulnerable to inexpensive FPV drones.
-Russia is studying these vehicles closely to enhance its armored tactics and technologies.
-With Bradleys in their hands, Russian forces can better understand Western armored platforms, adapt their strategies, and potentially enhance their own APC designs.
-This development is concerning for Ukraine and the U.S., as it may diminish the tactical advantage previously offered by American-supplied armored vehicles.
Russia Strikes Back With Capture of American-made Bradleys
The Russians are no longer afraid of the donated U.S. Army armored vehicles that have previously been successful fighting for the home team during the war in Ukraine.
The American Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which the Ukrainians have deployed to good effect during the conflict, had the friendly forces raving when it first arrived in theater in January 2023.
The armored personnel carrier demonstrated its agility, maneuverability, and impressive firepower, enabling it to navigate and extricate itself from challenging situations swiftly. The Bradley also infiltrated and exfiltrated infantry squads with agility, giving the Ukrainians a significant advantage in mechanized battles.
Vladimir Putin Is Happy with His Forces ‘Stealing’ Bradleys
Not all has gone right, though.
Take the latest disappointment in the war. The Russians have captured at least 11 of the Bradleys still intact and pored over the vehicle, wondering how it works and gleaned insights that could improve their own armored personnel carriers.
Once they became familiar with the infantry fighting vehicles and learned the intricacies of their operation, they began using them to fight back against the Ukrainians.
Russia Is Not Giving Up in Mechanized Warfare
Russia’s 155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade is now running a captured U.S.-supplied Bradley in the Kursk region, where the Ukrainians are having difficulty holding ground.
Open-source analysts working for Oryx have spotted the eleventh Bradley in Russian hands, which has concerned the Americans that the Russians will improve their own mechanized tactics, operations, and strategy.
Russia believes now that the Bradley can make the Ukrainians pay for leaving the armored vehicles behind when they retreated from attacks by the invaders.
What’s Great About the Bradley
Ukraine has made good use of the 25mm Bushmaster chain gun and the TOW missile launcher that has taken out Russian tanks before.
The Bradleys’ ability to overcome obstacles on the battlefield is top-notch. The Bradley can also run oversight operations and flanking maneuvers for scouting and reconnaissance missions. The Americans also appreciate this capability when it is employed in armored cavalry operations.
The Bradley has even used the TOW launcher to destroy one of Russia’s best tanks – the T-90. The Ukrainians have been surprised that such a small vehicle packs this kind of punch.
The Bradley Does Have a Weakness
However, the Russians have found the infantry fighting vehicle’s weakness.
It can be overcome and taken out by first-person view (FPV) drones. This loitering munition swarm is a low-cost endeavor that both sides have used on the battlefield.
The Americans are likely disappointed that this is the case, but FPVs are a fact of life and are not going away anytime soon. Russia is now running the Bradley, and the Ukrainians will be forced to use their own FPVs to fight back.
Russia Has Paid the Price and Lost Many APC’s
The Russians still prefer the Bradleys over their own Soviet-era armored personnel carriers.
The Ukrainians have made mincemeat of the invader’s APCs during the war. They have not been a significant factor for Russia in combat. However, the Russians can take lessons learned from operating the Bradley and combine them with after-action research from their BMP-3 program and improve armored vehicle performance.
Retired Marine Colonel J.D. Williams, a defense expert from the RAND Corporation, said the Bradley has been a difference maker, and the news is alarming that it is now in Russian hands.
“Having an actual vehicle does enable the Russians to confirm those reports [they may have been skeptical of the reporting and attributed some of those reports to western propaganda] and to understand the detailed materials and construction of the various components, in particular the armor protection, optics, and combat systems,” Williams told Task & Purpose.
Russia has long relied on large numbers of armored personnel carriers, such as the BMP-3. If it lost many in combat, they could easily be replaced. Now they realize that investing in technology and numerous updates in their infantry fighting vehicles is the best way to execute the mechanized fight.
The captured Bradleys are not only a public relations coup for Russia, but something that could have a long-term positive effect on how the Russians progress in armored battles in the future. A chain gun combined with the anti-tank missile launcher is a good combination, even if it does succumb to FPV drones.
One thing the Russians will learn is that crews must be trained better to use high-end systems like the Bradley. The BMP-3 is easier to operate despite its heavy losses. Vladimir Putin’s forces will also have to answer to Ukrainian FPVs that could eliminate the Bradleys in Russian possession.
The capture of American-made armored vehicles is a disappointment to the Ukrainians and the United States. It is a sign that Moscow does not have to be so worried about American-made weapons systems being donated to Ukraine. The Russian armored personnel carrier program will be improved, and systems on the Bradley can be copied. This is what Putin has envisioned with such a drawn-out war. The Russians have adjusted and learned lessons from facts on the ground, and this is disappointing to the United States and its efforts to arm friendly forces.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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