Summary and What You Need to Know: The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which faced controversy and delays during its development, gained prominence during the Iraq War and has since been deployed to Ukraine.

-Although initially underutilized due to a lack of training, the Bradleys have proven more effective than expected against Russian forces, offering mobility, firepower, and some protection.

-Despite Ukraine's aggressive use of Bradleys, over 68 have been lost in combat, highlighting the challenges Ukraine faces in fully utilizing Western military systems.

-While Bradleys have provided tactical benefits, they have not shifted the strategic outcome of the war, and Ukraine continues to face immense challenges on the battlefield.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle’s Role in Ukraine: Tactical Success, Strategic Limits

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle has been the subject of much controversy over the course of its lifespan. It even generated a book and an HBO film starring Kelsey Grammer and Cary Elwes entitled The Pentagon Wars.

What was supposed to be a short process to build the Army’s next light infantry vehicle became a 17-year saga to ultimately build a light tank. 

After massive cost overruns and seemingly endless design changes, the Army finally got its Bradley Fighting Vehicle. But the film highlights the absurd realities of doing anything for the Pentagon.

The Iraq War Experience 

America’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle rose to prominence, though, in the hard days of the Iraq War in 2003. They defined the American presence in the country. These systems were smaller and more maneuverable than the bulky M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks that dotted the Iraqi countryside. Plus, given the nature of the insurgency that followed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle proved to be more useful than its critics envisioned.

After literally decades in service to the country, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle is set to be retired and replaced by the Army’s M10 Booker non-light-tank tank (that’s a whole different comedic story). Rather than outright retire the fleet of Bradleys, though, the Army shipped a bunch of them over to the Ukrainians to help in their war against the invading Russians.

A New Lease on Life in the Killing Fields of Ukraine

Ukraine was facing a classic tank war when the Russians first invaded. Kyiv needed upgraded tanks. NATO was reticent to hand over their most advanced systems to the Ukrainians, who they assumed would be run over hard by the invading Russians. So NATO gave over the aging Bradleys. They also gave completely useless French light tanks that got chewed up by the Russians. 

But the Bradley proved to be a little bit better for the Ukrainians when conducting maneuver warfare against the invading Russians. 

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle provides rapid troop transport combined with massive firepower. For example, it has a 25 mm chain gun and TOW missiles. These two systems have been essential in fighting the Russian armies in Ukraine. Battles fought near Robotyne and Donetsk have seen the Bradley perform admirably. Despite its weaker armor, the Bradleys have performed better than expected when placed up against actual Russian tanks.

Ukraine has difficult terrain. The Bradley can navigate it better than heavier armored vehicles. Because of its armor, though it might not offer as much protection as an MBT, the Ukrainians prefer it over nothing. It still provides protection against small arms fire and shrapnel. It has been assessed that Ukraine has used the Bradley in radically aggressive maneuvers at the front which have, at times, disrupted the Russian tactical plans and advantages. 

The Strategic Implications 

Despite this, however, Ukraine has failed to achieve any lasting or substantive strategic victories. Russia today retains all the territories in Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula that it had at the start of the war. 

The design of the Bradley, allowing for rear entry and exit, is a significant help to the Ukrainians. That and the Bradley’s fire suppression system enhance the crew’s  survivability, even if the vehicle is immobilized in an attack. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is deemed to enjoy massive operational flexibility. These systems can operate in a wide range of environments, such as open fields as well as in urban settings. 

Nevertheless, massive numbers of Bradley Fighting Vehicles have been lost in the Ukraine War. Over the course of the war, 186 Bradleys were sent to Ukraine. Anywhere between 100-to-120 of those were deployed to frontline combat, according to an early 2024 report from Business Insider. Writing in February of this year, Peter Suciu reported in these pages that roughly 68 Bradleys have been lost in combat. 

Such numbers would be deemed catastrophic by American standards. Ultimately, however, the Ukrainians have been on a steep learning curve. Sure, they’ve been begging for more advanced systems from the West, and have gotten some. But they have no idea how to properly use them. 

At the start of the war, when the Bradley was first being used, the Ukrainians lost many of them simply because they did not understand the inherent limitations of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. 

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The Bradley Fighting Vehicle began its existence as a joke in pop culture. It was a massive source of controversy during its development. During the failed Iraq War, it acquitted itself with honor. In the killing fields of Ukraine,  its experience has been mixed. This is mostly due to the fact that Ukraine did not understand how to use this system when they first received it and because the Ukrainians do not have the numbers to change the circumstances at the strategic level.

Thus, like the blessed tanks the Ukrainians begged for and the older F-16s, the Bradleys have not changed the strategic fundamentals of the war. Kyiv should get a settlement before Russia simply grinds them down.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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