A 3rd Infantry Division unit at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is officially the first to be equipped with and trained on the modernized M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, marking the end of a decade long effort by the Army to upgrade their Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
Soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, first received the M2A4 variant in early February, the Army said in an April 23 release.
The soldiers completed training on the new equipment during a series of events this March, the Army release stated.
Included in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle upgrade were enhancements to improve speed performance and increase power in the turret.
“This Bradley variant will ensure that the platform maintains combat relevance now and for decades to come as we wait for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle platform to eventually replace it,” said Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, who leads Program Executive Office-Ground Combat Systems.
“We fielded the most capable Bradley Fighting Vehicle to date, with the Bradley in service for three decades. Because the A4 variant has enhanced mobility and power generation, we’ll be able to integrate new technologies.”
The Army plans to acquire more than 700 of the new M2A4 Bradleys through 2029. Each vehicle costs roughly $4.35 million.
The Army plans to continue providing field units with the M2A4 variant until the new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle is produced, which will eventually replace the Bradley.
The last upgrade made to U.S. armored troop carriers came in 2002.
The prototyping phase for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle will begin in fiscal 2025, and the Army is expected to select in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027 one company to build low-rate production vehicles.
Full-rate production isn’t expected to begin until fiscal 2030, meaning most soldiers will be using the M2A4 Bradley for years to come.
Rachel is a Marine Corps veteran and a master's candidate at New York University's Business & Economic Reporting program.
