How Bad Was The Bradley IFV?

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  • Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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    The Bradley IFV has received an undue amount of criticism over the years. With the proliferation of the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, the US Army recognized that they would need their own infantry fighting vehicle to replace the aging M113 armored personnel carrier. What emerged was the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, designed as the M2 IFV and M3 CFV. The Bradley was lambasted by military reformers for various reasons. The Bradley did have some faults, but its poor reputation is largely unearned.
    0:00 - Intro
    0:42 - History
    2:17 - Bradley's Initial Reception
    3:45 - ODS
    4:31 - Closing Statement
    Sources:
    The Bradley and how it Got that Way, Technology, Institutions, and the Problem of Mechanized Infantry in the United States Army - W. Blair Haworth
    Bradley: A History of American Fighting and Support Vehicles - R.P. Hunnicutt
    NSIAD-87-40 Bradley Vehicle: Army's Efforts To Make It More Survivable
    NSIAD-92-94 Operation Desert Storm: Early Performance Assessment of Bradley and Abrams
    NSIAD-88-149FS Bradley Vehicle: Status of Transmission's Reliability
    Department of Defense Appropriations for 1984
    A182777 Army Acquisition System vs. The Media
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 797

  • @Spookston
    @Spookston  2 роки тому +164

    You can watch my video on what Pentagon Wars got wrong here: ua-cam.com/video/gmuVYVREGgE/v-deo.html

    • @fly8641
      @fly8641 2 роки тому

      The morbius sweep

    • @esanahka9284
      @esanahka9284 2 роки тому

      Since you did BMP and Bradley you should also do a video on Marder IFV

    • @familyjobe853
      @familyjobe853 2 роки тому

      Do a video about the isu 152

    • @person0-016
      @person0-016 2 роки тому

      @@esanahka9284 Don't forget the warrior

    • @Hugo-kz9bi
      @Hugo-kz9bi 2 роки тому

      talk about the Penhard Crab in a vid if you can, would be cool in wt or a vehicle in general

  • @reihera
    @reihera 2 роки тому +1877

    My father was a driver in an M2 Bradly stationed in then-West Germany, he said that his version did not have a 6mm steel plate in-between the driving area and the engine, he suffered pretty extreme hearing loss and has hearing aids. He said it was fun to drive, and they could race and beat abrams units. He also said HE was fun to fire.
    Edit: ayo this doin numbers

    • @YukarisGearReviews
      @YukarisGearReviews 2 роки тому +139

      you mean your dad's bradley straight up did not come from the factory with a firewall?

    • @kilroy1976
      @kilroy1976 2 роки тому +48

      Heh, my dad worked on the transmission design and manufacture of the Bradley in the early 80s. He was a Navy vet, but I think he was more proud of that than of serving in the Navy. The Bradley did have significant transmission issues in its early variants. I never served in the military, but I'm also proud to have worked in industry that provided major components of almost anything that used a GE, Rolls, or P&W jet engine. Maybe I don't have a uniform or medals, but I'm happy to have been able to contribute in that way.

    • @bycoxtax8562
      @bycoxtax8562 2 роки тому +66

      @@YukarisGearReviews i think its clear that he didn't meant that, he meant that it didn't had the reinforcement plate, obviously you need the fire wall, but thats like a 2mm plate

    • @Genuinespaceman
      @Genuinespaceman 2 роки тому +38

      My dad commanded a M3A3 in Iraq. He said when he was training, he had AP loaded in the dual feed, and there was a coyote out on the training zone. He ordered his gunner to fire the round at the coyote. The coyote became pieces of two.

    • @smiley.6534
      @smiley.6534 2 роки тому +28

      @@Genuinespaceman That seems unnecessary.

  • @Briggattonii
    @Briggattonii 2 роки тому +1047

    I want to bring up Zach Hazard’s Bradley story, if a vehicle can be hit with 3 IEDs, have all of its crew bail leaving just an 18 year old with a concussion and STILL be operable that’s something to write home about

    • @Gamerguy826
      @Gamerguy826 2 роки тому +129

      I remember hearing that story but it makes my blood boil to think that his platoon/squad just left him there to rot. What part of "Never leave a man behind" wasn't in the memo?

    • @justsomemustachewithoutaguy-
      @justsomemustachewithoutaguy- 2 роки тому +150

      @@Gamerguy826to be fair lol... its hard to keep track of shit when your hit with that many explosives. But yea dick move if they knew that the dude was there and just left him

    • @HavelTheCock
      @HavelTheCock 2 роки тому +4

      @@justsomemustachewithoutaguy- if he was worth taking, they would have taken him

    • @enclave9614
      @enclave9614 2 роки тому +8

      @@Gamerguy826 poor guy. Nightmare stuff

    • @nooblangpoo
      @nooblangpoo 2 роки тому +98

      @@justsomemustachewithoutaguy- Don't worry, the ones who left him got court martialed to hell and back. Source: Comment on MGR/Combat Vetetan Reacts to Bradley/Gloves. Someone there posted that it became big enough to warrant full dishonorable discharges and jail time.

  • @Orieni
    @Orieni 2 роки тому +677

    Back when I was still a mech infantryman, I told people that if you thought the Brad was a tank, you would die. Instead, think of it as the world’s fastest and best machine gun nest.

    • @bruhzy2139
      @bruhzy2139 2 роки тому +80

      that’s honestly the greatest analogy for an IFV I’ve ever heard.

    • @Gamerguy826
      @Gamerguy826 2 роки тому +16

      As cool as the Bradley is I can't help but think to a degree "That just sounds like an MRAP with extra steps". I mean, it's got two AT missiles, better armor and can carry six troops but if you swapped out the treads for wheels and made it just *slightly* lighter I think I would probably have problems telling the difference.

    • @HavelTheCock
      @HavelTheCock 2 роки тому +1

      @@Gamerguy826 no

    • @shanechambers9529
      @shanechambers9529 2 роки тому +2

      @@HavelTheCock no what?

    • @noahversusacat9855
      @noahversusacat9855 2 роки тому

      That is also able of taking out most tanks it might come across, of course not in the way that a typical tank would but just as capable of doing so when the situation called for it

  • @YukarisGearReviews
    @YukarisGearReviews 2 роки тому +441

    I would like to note here that the "official" seating capacity of the Bradley is six, but this has been increased to 7 with the M2A2 ODS and on, and, unofficially, an eighth man in a more... unauthorized seating configuration.

    • @Jeremiah90526
      @Jeremiah90526 2 роки тому +92

      Please say this means either the little guy of the unit is sitting on someone's lap or is laying across their laps. If it is more sus than that I will have to officially say the Grunts need to lay off the Squids for being prone to that sort of behavior.

    • @YukarisGearReviews
      @YukarisGearReviews 2 роки тому +65

      @@Jeremiah90526 Look up "the hole".
      It's basically sitting next to the engine compartment, behind the driver.

    • @Jeremiah90526
      @Jeremiah90526 2 роки тому +37

      @@YukarisGearReviews So not as fun, but still requiring the little guy to do it, because there is no way in hell a mongoloid is fitting there.

    • @Baylor1993
      @Baylor1993 2 роки тому +46

      I’ve done a three man crew, guy in the AG’s seat behind the driver, seven guys in the back, and another dismount packed between the TC and gunner in the turret. Miserable.

    • @magikarpusedsplash8881
      @magikarpusedsplash8881 2 роки тому +23

      So basically a military clown car?

  • @envygd4902
    @envygd4902 2 роки тому +1279

    The Bradley gets way to much hate for no real reason, Lazerpig did quite a good video on it and the whole reformist movement, still find it funny how people claimed the Bradley was bad because it didn't have enough armor when it wasn't supposed to be a tank it's supposed to drop troops off and provide support it doesn't have a need for large amounts of armor for it's role.

    • @fuckoff4705
      @fuckoff4705 2 роки тому +61

      I'd argue it's a choice that's slowly starting to be reversed with the introduction of heavy IFV's like the PUMA or the Lynx, not to say the lack of armour on the bradley was inexcuseable, it had a lot more going for it than the bmp.

    • @Алекса́ндрФёдоровичКе́ренс-ы3н
      @Алекса́ндрФёдоровичКе́ренс-ы3н 2 роки тому +16

      To be fair, for an IFV, it seemed to have been quite expensive nonetheless...
      In opposition to the BMP-1 that is. Too complicated design for too simple of a job.

    • @nahuelleandroarroyo
      @nahuelleandroarroyo 2 роки тому +121

      ​@@Алекса́ндрФёдоровичКе́ренс-ы3н
      Being a universal IFV is not a simple job, you are looking at something that need to carry infantry safely and pack a punch. The Bradley has two ready TOW missiles.
      The BMP1 and further itinerstions have like null armour on the turret and chasis, only having slight protection in front because of the ludicrous slope.
      Even carrying troops is complex, packing +10 guys on a battlefield is risky

    • @marcogenovesi8570
      @marcogenovesi8570 2 роки тому +81

      @@Алекса́ндрФёдоровичКе́ренс-ы3н IFV isn't a simple job. Simple would be an APC. BMP-1 is cheaper but worse, meant to be built and used in larger numbers

    • @ragingassassin6659
      @ragingassassin6659 2 роки тому +5

      Personally, the only part I hate about the Bradley is that it's engine is a little underpowered for a vehicle of its size.

  • @abitofapickle6255
    @abitofapickle6255 2 роки тому +284

    Unloading Bradley's off of trains was a breeze compared to tanks. Unlike the M1 almost all of them started up and moved under their own power

  • @Tackleberry117
    @Tackleberry117 2 роки тому +421

    I loved our Bradleys. All kinds of things broke or bit ya all the time but those are completely worth dealing with. Just the bushmaster and optics paid for all the trouble let alone being able to squish crash through or obliterate with firepower anything in our way. It goes fast, doesn't immediately disintegrate when hit like a truck, holds everything you need and scared the piss outta bad guys when the 25 opened up

    • @92HazelMocha
      @92HazelMocha 2 роки тому +19

      As someone who served with strykers, I wish we'd had Bradley's instead.

    • @lrcolville1
      @lrcolville1 2 роки тому +15

      @@92HazelMocha I've talked with a stryker dismount before and he said they sucked ass to be inside of, especially in the winter

    • @92HazelMocha
      @92HazelMocha 2 роки тому +29

      @@lrcolville1 He wasn't lying. They're absolutely terrible to work in. Add to that it has very little protection and firepower and in a lot of cases less mobility than Bradley's and I question why we even had them. People say the MGS was garbage, but to us that was the *good* stryker.

    • @NeoPancake
      @NeoPancake 2 роки тому +14

      @@92HazelMocha I did 4 years on Strykers and 2 on Bradley's so far. The maintenance on a Stryker is way easier the 25 is cool to shoot but I hate maintaining it.

    • @ara8692
      @ara8692 Рік тому

      @@92HazelMocha what part of the Stryker family did you find the worst

  • @baronc252
    @baronc252 2 роки тому +163

    I was a gunner for a little while on the Bradley. It's a pretty reliable system if your driver and gunner know what they're doing. Almost every issue with the gun is operator induced. At first I thought that was BS. Until I got pretty good with it and realized how true it was. My gun ran nearly flawless while other crews wanted to use my track. I didn't let them cause they broke theirs and knew they'd break mine.

    • @AH-64Delta
      @AH-64Delta 2 роки тому +2

      What difference in use made them break quicker?

    • @codyamann12345
      @codyamann12345 2 роки тому +14

      @@AH-64Delta it's usually just people not understanding how to load or operate the gun because they're not trained on it. A lot of times it's because nee guys show up, only have experience as a dismount, and then get put into a gunner position with nothing but simulator training. Then they go shoot their first gunnery, and realize they don't actually know how to operate the gun.

    • @abitofapickle6255
      @abitofapickle6255 2 роки тому +3

      My Tank Bravo 1-3 was a champ. Gun droopage and had the oldest power-packed of the battalion. As long you did your PMCS, that tank was an absolute tac driver, and started everytime

    • @AH-64Delta
      @AH-64Delta 2 роки тому +2

      @@codyamann12345 How was the gun loaded? What were the typical tricks and mistakes?

    • @AH-64Delta
      @AH-64Delta 2 роки тому +1

      @@abitofapickle6255 What's a PMCS?

  • @connordalton4553
    @connordalton4553 2 роки тому +272

    Kind of want to see this on the BMP-3, since it had a fun development cycle.

    • @filmandfirearms
      @filmandfirearms 2 роки тому +34

      Except for the fact that the BMP-3 is still barely used, with variants of the BMP-2 still being the main line IFV in the Russian army. Meanwhile, the Bradley is quite literally the only IFV the US uses

    • @disturbedwaffle327
      @disturbedwaffle327 2 роки тому +62

      @@filmandfirearms he said development cycle not deployment.

    • @filmandfirearms
      @filmandfirearms 2 роки тому +6

      @@disturbedwaffle327 Yeah, but what's the point of talking about a difficult development cycle for something which either isn't used or is barely used?

    • @germen343
      @germen343 2 роки тому

      @@filmandfirearms This is your brain on autism.

    • @peterni2234
      @peterni2234 2 роки тому +43

      @@filmandfirearms AHEM, HSTV-L

  • @Soulessdeeds
    @Soulessdeeds 2 роки тому +68

    Bradley mechanic veteran here. I served for 15 yrs and did 3 tours in Iraq. The first two tours being the first two rotations in Iraq. The Bradley's overall is a reliable vehicle. BUT it did suffer initially during the first couple of months in theater. Especially once the insurgency kicked off. The reason it suffered was due to our tracks sitting for long periods of time. Basically we saw allot of power train issues at the beginning due to what is referred to as Dry Rot. Oil lines. Gaskets. and other problems commonly seen in vehicles that have sat idle for long periods of time. And yes my unit did training before we deployed and yes we did train with our own vehicles. But the thing is normal field training and gunneries don't really stretch the legs of these vehicles. So many of these issues remained hidden until we were in Iraq and our Brad's are now doing 24 operations with crews rotating in and out aka hot seating. That's when we saw the problems show up. After about two months with the first being the worst by far. Most of the stuff that was going to break had already done so. After that our Brads ran like champs. It went from so hectic trying to keep tracks running that I didn't see my bunk for 3 whole days and ate all of my meals and slept on the Brads I was working on. To days and weeks of just chilling and doing normal maintenance stuff. The same situations happened for the Abrams guys on my team as well. They saw basically the same stuff we did at the beginning. And later they were back to normal ops. My 2nd tour with the Bradley's is where I learned how good and bad they are. Out of the 13 Brads the 101st ABN 1/32 Cav were given out of theater Pre-po stocks. 11 were coded out for IED damage. I recovered nearly all of them but 1. The thing about the Brads is that once they catch on fire. They just melt and turn into aluminum goo. I still got my pics of the ones I recovered that were still burning as I towed them back. You didn't sit around waiting for them to stop or else you gave the insurgents extra time to plan hits on you. Recovery vehicles were targets definitely. Out of the 11 Brads struck by IEDs and destroyed. Only 1 soldier died and it was due to burns suffered from a ruptured fuel cell. My biggest complaint about the Bradley is that it has internal fuel tanks. Honestly the fuel tanks were the crews biggest threat after an IED strike. I just hope that the next vehicle that's made has external fuel cells. External fuel cells may be vulnerable to combat damage. But they are also FAR cheaper to replace than a full vehicle. And pose far less risk to the crews of the vehicle than internal tanks do. But overall as a weapons platform the Bradley was very deadly to our enemies and reliable and easily maintained. Especially if your maintenance guys and vehicle crews are on the same page and do their vehicle maintenance.

    • @elektrotehnik94
      @elektrotehnik94 2 роки тому +8

      Engineer’s perspective:
      External fuel tanks being hit would be mission-kill.
      Sadly, Extremely unpractical, given “bang for buck” limitations of army equipment ^^ ❤

    • @herringbone5035
      @herringbone5035 10 місяців тому

      This is the best comment on UA-cam regarding the Bradley. Kudos to you.

  • @Nobody-mi7qf
    @Nobody-mi7qf 2 роки тому +49

    To the armor complaint about the Bradley and it’s general usage just follow the chieftain quote “Use as directed”

  • @OddBawZ
    @OddBawZ 2 роки тому +68

    Hello, this was a great video. I can't wait to see more!

  • @glenndean6
    @glenndean6 2 роки тому +62

    The Bradley performs remarkably well given all of its design compromises and troubled early development and birthing, and has the combat record to back it up. One correction: on swimming, the M2A2/M3A2 were still required to swim and had the swim barrier; the Army only stopped swimming them when a Safety of Use Message was issued in 1995. The A3 variants were built without swim barriers finally, but the actual requirement to swim (along with the requirement for firing ports) was not formally rescinded until 2011.

  • @noobiplays8539
    @noobiplays8539 2 роки тому +60

    Loves this video like the other informational videos . I was a M3A3 driver, gunner , and dismount 1-7 cav. I loved the Bradley, the IBAS was a great system when you zeroed it properly. The 25mm bushmaster cannon sounds still resonate and was fun learning how to dismantle + reassemble it. Recently I found out the Bradley had a Swim kit 😂.
    Thanks again for these types of videos . I really really enjoyed this one.

  • @cavalryscout9519
    @cavalryscout9519 2 роки тому +11

    When I reclassed to cavalry scout in the late 90s, the Army was doing a lot of comparisons between the Bradley, M113A3, and HMMWV for scouting, especially for light divisions and National Guard. By that time we had figured out Bradley tactics, and it worked well as long as all of the actual reconnaissance was done by dismounts and the track was kept as a battle taxi and light tank reaction force about 2km behind the dismounts. It didn't make for very fast recon, since the vehicles were too loud to bring near anything you haven't already scouted, but it was effective. There are some big advantages to having something armed and armored as a nearby reserve.
    Pure recon is faster with HMMWVs because they are much quieter, especially their doors as compared to the ramps of a Bradley or 113. You do not want your enemy to hear you getting out of a vehicle 1200m away. Distant engine sounds might be your own supply trucks, but the sound of ramps dropping means you need to be on alert. Because humvees are quieter, instead of dismounting a dozen scouts and having them out on foot all day, a HMMWV scout platoon mostly rides, but has 2-3 scouts constantly running or crawling ahead (with those 2-3 switching out with others throughout the day). The humvees will effectively move by bounds with their dismounts, keeping the trucks within 500m or a single terrain feature. Trucks aren't very good fire support, but they are close by and can respond in seconds instead of minutes. Tracks end up effectively moving at a walking pace since they need to stay well-behind their dismounts, but HMMWVs mostly do recon at a running pace.
    It's the light tank aspects of the Bradley that make it competitive though. On contact with the enemy, HMMWV scouts mostly have to lay down suppressive fire, mount up and flee, but Bradley scouts effectively have light tanks supporting them. The real deciding factor for why most scout platoons are in HMMWVs is that Bradleys can't fly on a C-130, so they can't support light brigades.
    The only real complaint I ever had with the Bradley is that operator-level maintenance on it requires both metric and SAE wrenches, and way to many of them. The same level of maintenance on an M1 mostly takes 2 wrenches (15mm and 30mm), and you can do most operator-level maintenance on a HMMWV with a multi-tool. It's not that big a flaw, really.
    The Stryker Dragoon is probably the all-around best recon vehicle the US Army has. It can do most of what the Bradley does well, while also being quiet enough to use close to the enemy like the HMMWV.

  • @psychzach1588
    @psychzach1588 2 роки тому +77

    Love your videos man. Thank you for making them.

  • @oseansoldier
    @oseansoldier 2 роки тому +40

    Always enjoy your videos. Always informative and never leave them without learning something.

  • @BrockvsTV
    @BrockvsTV 2 роки тому +8

    This really makes me want a video of you interviewing the chieftain on the experiences with the tanks he was in

  • @pauld6967
    @pauld6967 2 роки тому +16

    Good coverage of the topic.
    It would be nice if you consider doing a follow-on video going into detail on the differences between the Cavalry and IFV versions & the reasons for those differences. Possibly touching on the M6 Linebacker.
    Also, to be fair, there were variants of the M113 that had more firepower than you would expect to find in a mere "battle taxi."

  • @blackegret666
    @blackegret666 2 роки тому +73

    Could you do an in depth look on the LAV-3?

    • @Spookston
      @Spookston  2 роки тому +45

      Possibly

    • @tylerandrews4375
      @tylerandrews4375 2 роки тому +5

      I love the lav 3 but man it had problems. In Afghanistan it sometime flipped over on rough terrain and it’s 25mm chain gun obviously couldn’t penatrate the sometimes meters thick walls of the grape drying huts used as bunkers by the taliban. I think most of its problems were as result of doctrine and lack though. Since the Canadian government had gotten rid of most of its tanks, helicopters, and didn’t send any jets to Kandahar, instead having to ask for air support from other countries. Still if had a choice of wether to be in a lav 3 or a hummvee I’d take the lav any day.

    • @reimuhakurei2123
      @reimuhakurei2123 7 місяців тому

      LAV and Bardley same cannon so do vid pls

  • @davydovua
    @davydovua 6 місяців тому +10

    In Ukraine, the M2A2ODS Bradleys are way more feared by the Russian infantry than most tanks are. And they have proven to have orders of magnitude better crew and dismounts survivability than the soviet BMPs if hit. During the 2023 summer counteroffensive, one Bradley sustained more than 7 direct RPG and mortar hits with zero crew and dismount casualties and was later recovered and repaired.

    • @mbtenjoyer9487
      @mbtenjoyer9487 5 місяців тому

      It’s mainly to do with the ERA rather than the actual base armor protection

    • @2003AudiS3
      @2003AudiS3 5 місяців тому

      Though Bradley's do have better armor even with era​@@mbtenjoyer9487

  • @DefinitelyNotEmma
    @DefinitelyNotEmma 2 роки тому +36

    I always have the feeling people jump on bandwagons to criticize IFVs very fast anyway. Same with the Puma which was also heavily criticized by people, who were not even aware of it's role and to which system it compares.
    As far as I am aware the Bradley was, especially for it's time, a very decent IFV. It seemed to be the natural fit for US doctrine and I'd say it's track record isn't the worst.
    Of course with the introduction of newer systems like our Puma or the Lynx, KF-21, Kurganets-25 etc. it seems less impressive on paper, but it's still a very solid IFV to this day and can more than hold its own against contemporary IFVs from the eastern bloc in terms of infantry support.

    • @celebrim1
      @celebrim1 2 роки тому +5

      We've been wanting to replace it for a while since it is at this point 50 year old tech, but the thing about replacing the USA fleet is the USA fleet is huge. So when you replace it, you got to do it right the first time because you are going to be building thousands of them. Prior attempts have demonstrated that the technology we wanted at the time wasn't yet ready for the real world. In the meantime, the only people who have even a marginally better IFV are allies, and you can always upgrade the electronics pretty cheaply to keep it relevant on a modern battlefield.
      I suspect that once APS gets mature we'll see the US revisit replacing it's AFV fleet. It's pretty obvious modern AFV's are going to need 360 dome protection against weapon systems like loitering munitions, top-attack ATGMs, and guided mortar rounds. But exactly what that system will look like - energy weapons, 40mm grenade launcher, 30mm autocannon, micro-sized SAGMs - is still being decided and worked on. I suspect in 10-20 years we'll see a new platform with space provided for a multipurpose weapon system that can be swapped out for whatever future APS turns out to work best.

    • @deezboyeed6764
      @deezboyeed6764 2 роки тому

      Well thats because there are many 'experts' that get referenced and interviewed.

    • @pyronuke4768
      @pyronuke4768 2 роки тому

      @@deezboyeed6764 also known as the woozle effect.

  • @kennykroger6004
    @kennykroger6004 2 роки тому +4

    I'm a dismount and a jump gunner for the brads. In my experience working with the m2a2 models, the biggest flaw in my opinion is the dismount capacity. There's unaffordable time that is taken up by assembling with your scattered dismounted element after a dp since they can only fill 6 out of the 9 squad personal. If these new brad models come through, then there will be a lot of time, and eventually lives saved.
    Note: To compensate for that, each Bradley section will often have an assault squad with an MG attachment. Majority of the time, it works pretty well. However, that means its only 2 dismounted Squads w/ MG per platoon.

    • @kennykroger6004
      @kennykroger6004 2 роки тому

      also note: Jus call them brads

    • @kennykroger6004
      @kennykroger6004 2 роки тому +2

      A jump gunner is a dismount who hops on the gun if the Track Commander dismounts or dies.

  • @daemonvolk4971
    @daemonvolk4971 2 роки тому +17

    An idea for a video I had was a list of armored vehicles that had the biggest impact on how armored warfare was fought and/or caused a change in direction when it comes to designs.
    The BMP-1 is a great example as it caused the West to design counterparts.
    The IS-3 would be another.
    I'm sure there are tons of known, but also more obscure examples out there.

    • @termitreter6545
      @termitreter6545 2 роки тому +1

      Thats not quite true, it was actually germans who introduced the first vehicle of this role, something like 6-8 years before the BMP. The first "modern" IFV would be the german Schützenpanzer Lang-30. Not a good vehicle, but it was the first one.
      Relied to a big degree on WW2 experience with Panzergrenadiers (german mechanized infantry).

    • @thomaspriewasser6660
      @thomaspriewasser6660 2 роки тому

      FT-17, Dreadnought (ship)

    • @termitreter6545
      @termitreter6545 2 роки тому

      @COMMANDERWILL GAMES BR Tbf everyone forgets that one xD

  • @tsarmonkeyii5598
    @tsarmonkeyii5598 2 роки тому +12

    I love the Bradley since I share a first name with who it was named after (Omar Bradley) and I love IFV/APC combinations like BMPs and the Brad.

  • @EaZ-b9h
    @EaZ-b9h 7 місяців тому +1

    I was an M3 Bradley Gunner and worked at the United States infantry board at Fort Benning testing out the reactive tile Bradley's back in the 80s.

  • @maeira8557
    @maeira8557 2 роки тому +17

    I loved and hated the bradley, never had an issue with the bushmaster only because I was careful with PMC. The heater rarely worked either it was hotter than hell or you better cuddle up with your buddy. Cramped in the back, driver hit a ditch and I woke up in my squad leaders lap. But man the thing kept breaking down with random things but what you said about the radiator is true that thing is absolute garbage. I thought it was hilarious when i told the mechanics that the radiator is messed up and they ignored my warning as they tried to get it onto the train carts the radiator blew. Weird...it's like I have been complaining about that for weeks.

    • @justinkedgetor5949
      @justinkedgetor5949 2 роки тому

      You'd think they'd at least do a quick test to see if your complaints were founded. But I'm a civilian and all I know is shit is different in the military 🪖 *shrug*

  • @songbird9995
    @songbird9995 2 роки тому +5

    Thank you for these videos. I really enjoy watching them King

  • @SgtP4in
    @SgtP4in 10 місяців тому +4

    An IFV isn't supposed to be a light tank, it's a beefed up armored car capable of punching up above it's weight class, and it's fills a vital modern battlefield role.

  • @ElysiumFields23
    @ElysiumFields23 2 роки тому +2

    I loved these vehicles, served as a driver, gunner and tc and a dismount. She never let me down.

  • @dillonh2118
    @dillonh2118 Рік тому +18

    I almost wished you had written this video today. Given its performance in ukraine.

    • @Apnah13
      @Apnah13 11 місяців тому +3

      Bradley is a joke unfortunately

    • @TonyChan-eh3nz
      @TonyChan-eh3nz 9 місяців тому +15

      @@Apnah13idk man, a design originating in 1963 being a major contributor to beating a “modern” t-90, and likely having its crew surviving when damaged doesn’t seem like a joke to me.

    • @mortalz9940
      @mortalz9940 8 місяців тому +2

      @@TonyChan-eh3nz It was a one time event in the entire two year war and since that the bradleys have just been performing the same hit by a FPV and destroyed

    • @TonyChan-eh3nz
      @TonyChan-eh3nz 8 місяців тому +12

      @@mortalz9940 and when the drone hit, the turrets didn’t join nasa along with the remains of the crew.

    • @Foundbison
      @Foundbison 8 місяців тому +11

      @@Apnah13 tore 2 btrs apart yesterday

  • @drewschumann1
    @drewschumann1 2 роки тому +3

    I was Platoon Leader for the first 6 M3 CFVs ever built back in the '80s. They were maintenance hogs, mainly wiring issues, but they weren't horrible as AFVs. Most maintenance problems were the result of a system that wasn't prepared for that level of complexity, and in my 15 months as PL, we had fixed almost all of them. Vehicle height is the most overrated issue, as it is extremely easy to assume hull or even turret defilade with a Bradley. The BMP is horrible to actually fight from due to it's small size and lack of ergonomics.

  • @Red_Four
    @Red_Four 2 роки тому +6

    I watched Pentagon Wars, then I read the book. At first, and even though I had been on Bradleys for a long time at that point, I believed that bullshit, but then I went to Bradley Master Gunner school and realized that guys like James Burton and that Black Tail turd are just full of shit. The Bradley is a great combat platform. One of the things I love about it is how incredibly resilient it is, and even in a complete power loss it is still capable of putting up a fight. It's like the machine wants to fight more than the soldiers using it, and you can't ask for a better combat vehicle than that.

  • @germanpanzer38t
    @germanpanzer38t 2 роки тому +6

    My grandfather got to help make the m2 ammo loader and test the night vision

  • @albdamned577
    @albdamned577 2 роки тому

    I was an army brat coming up around the time of the gulf war, I remember several soldiers giving this vehicle a lot of praise. Mostly comfort and all the useful equipment in it.

  • @TrueCanad1an
    @TrueCanad1an 2 роки тому +19

    I think alot of countries would take what American troops consider a bad vehicle over what ever they have.

    • @stevenortiz9008
      @stevenortiz9008 2 роки тому

      Colombia for example

    • @einar8019
      @einar8019 2 роки тому +2

      not in the case of the bradley(only 2 countries bought them) the cv90 has had more export than the bradley

    • @Bai.XiongMao
      @Bai.XiongMao 2 роки тому +1

      Coming from the Philippines which is happily taking surplus M113s from America, I think you're on to something here

  • @AEIOU05
    @AEIOU05 11 місяців тому +2

    All that talk about APC‘s and IFV‘s and me, a former Austrian infantry man, is thinking: wait, you guys have armored vehicles? Seriously, if we drove, we had trucks or small „Pinzgauer“. Most of the time we were on foot, partially for training but also because we had too few vehicles, let alone armored ones (the politicians thought we didn’t need those since wars are a thing of the past, turned out to be totally wrong)

  • @PitchIncorrection
    @PitchIncorrection 2 роки тому

    Particularly well-spoken closing statement. Very well captures the fact that a lot of the time, a problem is with the youth of the concept rather than the design.

  • @FreeRojava2025
    @FreeRojava2025 8 місяців тому +7

    Re watching everything about how terrible the Chadley is is confusing, ever since it’s rather impressive use in Ukraine. You know, surviving a shot from a T72 and the “incident” with the T90M.

    • @deemwinch
      @deemwinch 8 місяців тому +1

      Chadley🤓 what a fuсking nerd you are. Also they are getting destroyed every few days and burn good. T90 was blinded before it met bradleys

    • @meesamkhan4767
      @meesamkhan4767 7 місяців тому +9

      @@deemwinch cope Ztard still no kharkiv, still no kyiv

    • @2003AudiS3
      @2003AudiS3 7 місяців тому +3

      @@deemwinchit’s been 2 years and half a million men Putin feet kisser

    • @mbtenjoyer9487
      @mbtenjoyer9487 5 місяців тому

      Nothing is impressive about surviving a HE-FRAG and the T-90M incident doesn’t mean anything , as it’s turret was disabled by FPV munitions not the Bradley

  • @Alphonselle
    @Alphonselle Місяць тому +8

    2 years later. How bad was the Bradley? Not at all, it's pretty damn good at its job LOL.

  • @danywany9144
    @danywany9144 2 роки тому +3

    love this type of video keep it up man

  • @MaxRavenclaw
    @MaxRavenclaw 2 роки тому

    That CNC Generals music never gets old.

  • @spartanx9293
    @spartanx9293 2 роки тому +6

    Can you do a video on the programs trying to replace the Bradley and which one is most likely to win

  • @SamaelVR
    @SamaelVR 2 роки тому +4

    Despite all the positive praise in the comments, I believe Phly made a collab video on the Bradley in which a former crew member expressed his fair criticism. I don't think it's accurate to say that the hate for the Bradley is "undue". It's a back and forth, there's always going to be things people like and dislike.
    Ofc I know the point of this was to highlight its actual usefulness in combat, which is often disregarded when discussing the Bradley.

  • @trevorlujan2623
    @trevorlujan2623 Рік тому +1

    I used to work on the M242 25mm cannons when I was active duty.

  • @MonaroMan-j6j
    @MonaroMan-j6j Місяць тому +1

    Bradleys are awesome. They gave an American Infantry Division an unprecedented amount of anti-tank capability.

  • @stuartdollar9912
    @stuartdollar9912 7 місяців тому +6

    It wasn't. It was probably the best IFV in the world in its heyday, and as has been demonstrated in Ukraine, it's still a nightmare in the hands of a good crew nearly 40 years later.

  • @jjnudsmcgee5903
    @jjnudsmcgee5903 Рік тому +1

    10 second mark - that’s a Brad from a tank in my old battalion - and I definitely know the LT up in that hatch haha

  • @slaaneshgod
    @slaaneshgod 2 роки тому +2

    good friend of mine served in a bradley for his entire deployment and while he certainly had complaints they overall feel that vehicle saved their life a number of times in both irag and felucia. they had been hit with IEDs more than once that the bradley saved their ass and allowed them to keep fighting. They have a great deal most complaints about the humvee. LOL

  • @NotQuiteAllHere
    @NotQuiteAllHere 2 роки тому +1

    Mostly think swapping the TOW for a Javelin might have been smart but its become a fave of mine tbh

  • @jazzgaming5721
    @jazzgaming5721 2 роки тому +319

    Was gonna say first but I gained a brain cell 🗿

  • @armyboy414
    @armyboy414 Рік тому +8

    A very interesting video. I've been enjoying watching videos of Bradley's being blown to bits recently and wanted to find out more about them.

    • @Apnah13
      @Apnah13 11 місяців тому

      Same lol.

  • @chesterlynch9533
    @chesterlynch9533 2 роки тому +1

    I think US Army is making a big mistake limiting the crew and dismount requirements for OMFV to only 2 crew and 6 dismounts. Most of competitors can accommodate up to 3 crew and dismounts (possibly even 3+9 configuration) like Lynx KF-41, CV-90 Mk IV, and Hanwha AS-21. The 3rd crew members can control UAV or UGV to support the infantry meanwhile drivers will focus on driving and the gunner will use it's weapon.

  • @overlord6887
    @overlord6887 2 роки тому +1

    Pretty levelheaded analysis, and accurate IMO. In my experience, every maintainer that I met that had to work on it loathed it. meanwhile folks that got to be crew for it, whether infantry or cav, seemed to love the thing to a near religious extent, except for when they had to PMCS it. Also, thing probably started the death before dismount memes in the infantry and armor branches too lol. So the part about some officers disliking it for giving crews and squads bad habits in terms of TTPs is probably still an ongoing, but relatively minor, issue that usually gets beat out of junior leaders (NCO and commissioned alike) whenever its their unit's turn to go in for a TC rotation or if they have vigilant BN leadership. Do note, that as the Spookston himself clarifies, this isn't really a Bradley issue, its more of an IFV issue. Plenty of cases of BMP and BTR crews in UKR currently getting their shit kicked in for exercising this habit in combat.

  • @semicooperative7188
    @semicooperative7188 2 роки тому +1

    Only experience riding in an M2, tagging along with some infantry. Not the best ride, but fine. On the way back, hydraulics failed for the ramp. Had to drag it bag to base on the asphalt sparking the whole time. The breeze made for a better ride even if the locals seemed concerned about.

  • @FatherGrigori
    @FatherGrigori 2 роки тому +21

    For those who haven't, I reccomend looking into the vulnerability testing of the Bradley, it is quite entertaining

    • @fuckoff4705
      @fuckoff4705 2 роки тому +44

      you mean the absolute circus of reformers?

    • @twat9192
      @twat9192 2 роки тому

      you mean the one where they already knew what would happen so they didnt want to blow up an expensive prototype and because of that the circus of reformers screams corruption every 2 seconds

    • @nahuelleandroarroyo
      @nahuelleandroarroyo 2 роки тому +19

      Shooting a IFV with AT weapons? Weapons designed to kill MBTs. Yeah bits do fly far but in desert storm M2/M3 did defeat tanks not by tanking shots rather by shooting first

    • @Shaun_Jones
      @Shaun_Jones 2 роки тому +2

      @@nahuelleandroarroyo Burton seemed to be convinced that the Bradley should just survive a penetrating hit from a TOW missile; somehow.

  • @SatansOps
    @SatansOps 2 роки тому +1

    You should make a video of the Strf90 or the CV90 family as a whole. It's an IFV that I 100% unbiasedly as a Swede find very interesting especially now with the MK4 version and especially especially the one with the 50mm autocannon...

  • @ozoahameg3582
    @ozoahameg3582 2 роки тому

    you showing the XM723 and the 1st thing that comes to my mind is "theres the next warthunder event vehicle"

  • @intorsusvolo7834
    @intorsusvolo7834 2 роки тому

    It’s my favorite “tank” of all time. And it’s extremely fun/deadly in Bad Company (2).

  • @HuizingDaa74244
    @HuizingDaa74244 2 роки тому +8

    Guess i’ll just ask for a ho-ri prototype video again

    • @Spookston
      @Spookston  2 роки тому +5

      I'll get around to it eventually

  • @rush_17
    @rush_17 2 роки тому

    The bmp and bradly series are my favorite IFVS

  • @Tankliker
    @Tankliker 2 роки тому +1

    >US wanted a battle taxi that could support from a distance
    >Bradley is a battle taxi that can support from a distance
    Like, it did what it was designed to, sure some tradeoffs here and there.
    But it literally isn't a Marder and was never intended for the role the way heavier German IFVs fulfilled.

  • @Appelschmappel
    @Appelschmappel 2 роки тому +1

    Id personally love to see a video about the AMX-10RC, a french tank destroyer/scout tank.. commentary could also be some information about french late cold war tanks

    • @palohagara105
      @palohagara105 Рік тому

      for that, you can find SEARCH field in this webpage (and any browser) there are ten of such videos,as for every tank/vehicle type

  • @KingKatRider
    @KingKatRider 2 роки тому

    I served on and taught the M3. When you consider what it was replacing the M113 well you cant say anything bad about it. Bushmaster is a badass weapon. We had no break down issues on them than anything else that I can remember.

  • @barryfirth1187
    @barryfirth1187 10 місяців тому +1

    Drove the M113,both the internal and external fuel tank models. (M113,M113 A2?)
    They also got more and more shockes also.
    42 miles a hour is on the decals as recommended rated top speed.
    Can get those things going 55 or better.
    Downhill, tailwind and full sails as the boys say!! 😂🤣
    After awhile though, your arms get pretty sore, especially when you have both hands on one tiller bar just keeping her going in a straight line on the highway!! 🇨🇦

  • @emok_18
    @emok_18 2 роки тому +1

    Would be fun to hear about the dardos

  • @dreport9433
    @dreport9433 2 роки тому

    Loved my BFV, saved me and my crew countless times in Ramadi.

  • @Baylor1993
    @Baylor1993 2 роки тому

    I was mech infantry. We hated the Bradley in every aspect with the exception of the heater in the winter. I’ve served as a driver and gunner on one over the course of about 4 out of my 6 and a half years. I despised it whole heartedly. It’s stupid loud, the wall between myself and the engine would get so hot I’d heat my MRE’s by setting it against it on the gear shift, which really blows in the summertime in the desert while being forced to wear MOPP gear. Also ridiculously cramped if you’re average size or above, for the gunner especially over a certain length of time.

  • @jimsquire9048
    @jimsquire9048 2 роки тому

    I have a 1/6 scale model of an M3 in my war room. I love it.

  • @Amexel
    @Amexel 2 роки тому +17

    Brad.

  • @chaosXP3RT
    @chaosXP3RT 2 роки тому

    My brother-in-law was in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said that most American weapons, vehicles and equipment are trash... until they're compared to what soldiers from other armies have to use. For some context, he served in Cuba, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.

  • @Mate-vg2ft
    @Mate-vg2ft 2 роки тому +1

    Loving the videos my man. But one question, could you look over some of the LAV series of vehicle? Idk why but I’m interested in them.

  • @luckypolack
    @luckypolack 2 роки тому

    If you haven't already I think a video talking about/playing the F2G-1 super Corsair would be interesting as it was the first free battle pass vehicle

  • @TheInfiniteAmo
    @TheInfiniteAmo 2 роки тому

    I'm non-combat personnel serving in a Scout unit primarily made up of Bradleys. As much as people like to complain about the classical Bradley flaws, the only real issues with the vehicle's design are the inevitable outcomes of aging. Everyone imagines what a platform designed in the 2010s could do in place of the Bradley, but that's not a valid criticism of the Bradley itself.

  • @MacSalterson
    @MacSalterson 2 роки тому +3

    I've spoken with a few Bradley crewmembers over the years and I think the one consistent complaint they have is that they hit their head a lot on various shit.

  • @couchpotatoi
    @couchpotatoi 2 роки тому

    I would love to see a 8.3/8.7 china wheely bois lineup video (WMA, PTL02, AFT09)

  • @razvy6949
    @razvy6949 2 роки тому +1

    I'm wondering how a video on the Marder (the IFV) would look like, how it performed, did it come to being from the Schutzenpanzer the US was so interested in

  • @swatboy763
    @swatboy763 2 роки тому

    I think one of the reasons people are dislike the Bradley is because they thought it *originally* was designed for being an APC rather than IFV, and if they were told it was designed to be an IFV from the ground up that whould change things

  • @TheCockroach126
    @TheCockroach126 2 роки тому

    am i hearing C&C generals American music? bringing back some good memories

  • @ThommyofThenn
    @ThommyofThenn 2 роки тому

    For what it's worth I have had fun operating this vehicle in video games. Also looks much nicer than the BMP.

  • @dannyleopold1071
    @dannyleopold1071 2 роки тому

    Coming out from the military from 3abct the Bradley has decreased quiet a bit since than a lot of my friends who were gunners drivers for the Bradley have a lot of gun engine transmission issues and unfortunately a lot of the parts we do get are old refurbished parts

  • @saucebosspl
    @saucebosspl 2 роки тому

    Great video, keep it up Bro

  • @impguardwarhamer
    @impguardwarhamer 2 роки тому +2

    If you want to do one of these on the warrior i archived some MoD documents from around it's adoption a while ago which had some enlightening information about the army's opinion of it

  • @cole3467
    @cole3467 2 роки тому +13

    Why don't we just create space ships that can drop units from orbit, modern problems require modern solutions

    • @Spookston
      @Spookston  2 роки тому +9

      It's too dangerous and expensive

    • @anusername8350
      @anusername8350 2 роки тому +6

      WERE DROPPING FEET FIRST STRAIGHT INTO HELL SOLDIERS!

    • @jaek__
      @jaek__ 2 роки тому +2

      Titanfall moment

    • @cole3467
      @cole3467 2 роки тому +1

      Why are the coolest options the worst ones

    • @Angstbringer18B
      @Angstbringer18B 2 роки тому +1

      @@cole3467 because combat isn't as glamorous or interesting as video games and movies make it out to be. It's literally just waiting for weeks or months and then you take contact but it's just three rounds that got fired over your head and then nothing happens again for weeks.

  • @commandervocal3848
    @commandervocal3848 2 роки тому

    I’m not sure if you’ve done a video on it before but maybe consider making a somewhat similar vid on the British Warrior 👀. I’ve recently been having lots of fun with it in war thunder, even bringing it into 11.0

  • @streakermaximus
    @streakermaximus 2 роки тому

    "When the Army got the Bradley, they didn't know what to do with it."
    Seems like that would be an issue.

  • @Ontos_M50
    @Ontos_M50 2 роки тому

    Not sure how much you would find but a video on the creation of the AAV7 would be cool

  • @mikelangelo1232
    @mikelangelo1232 2 роки тому +1

    In a platoon you have more bradleys than squads to transport people, bunch of dudes end up separated. So the job of a squadleader is always fun.

  • @jammyydodgeruwu2083
    @jammyydodgeruwu2083 2 роки тому

    my only gripe with the Bradley is its low dismount capacity, but US squad sizes are fairly large.

  • @vaclavjebavy5118
    @vaclavjebavy5118 2 роки тому +2

    So good it's used by countries all over the world!

    • @YukarisGearReviews
      @YukarisGearReviews 2 роки тому

      0/10

    • @whythefrown
      @whythefrown 2 роки тому

      Well, the bmp series basically got given out like candy in a rich neighboorhood during Halloween, hard to argue with "free" IFVs if it means you can divert more money into your slush fund.

    • @vaclavjebavy5118
      @vaclavjebavy5118 2 роки тому

      @@whythefrown Yeah, but there were people who actually asked for them. The only country which uses the Bradley got them handed out like halloween candy as well.

  • @RecolitusMorbus
    @RecolitusMorbus 2 роки тому +1

    The Bradley was always my favorite tank. Dunno why. The Abrams was cool, yeah, but I think it was the autocannon and the TOW missile pack. Also, it could carry people. But, then again, I'm a Navy man. I don't know shit about ditch digging.

  • @bannanaman4225
    @bannanaman4225 2 роки тому

    I just got made a bradley gunner pretty fun in the sim

  • @alpacaofthemountain8760
    @alpacaofthemountain8760 2 роки тому

    Great work!

  • @Kull1339
    @Kull1339 2 роки тому

    Personally I think our military principals should be
    Make guns that can beat our enemies
    Make armor that can beat our guns
    And just keep that as a general idea

  • @DatInnocentGuy
    @DatInnocentGuy 2 роки тому

    how do you find these amazing videos of inside the fighting compartments?

  • @JimberCrime
    @JimberCrime 2 роки тому

    Do a video discussing the state of top tier ground rb and how it has shifted over time from a German bias to a Russian bias in a sense. Meaning from a focus on German vehicles being added to a Russian one. This isn't to say Germany still doesn't get fancy new toys, like the PUMA IFV, but compared to Russia they're falling behind in terms of favor. Obviously this is money but I'd love to see a deep dive discussing how it changed, when, why, and what the future looks like for the game.

  • @will2777
    @will2777 2 роки тому +12

    Here's an interesting thoughts video idea: what WWII tanks do you think could potentially hold it's own today if given the proper tools (IR, computer tracking, laser rangefinder, etc). Changing nothing in terms of it's outside features, but moreso the inside mechanisms

    • @eirik8711
      @eirik8711 2 роки тому +21

      None.

    • @will2777
      @will2777 2 роки тому +2

      @@eirik8711 you're probably right, but I just thought I'd ask

    • @timkey_4542
      @timkey_4542 2 роки тому +1

      well, if you'd upgrade the engine and gave them a better gun'
      I think german late war projects like Tiger, Tiger II and Panther would be a lot more interesting

    • @eirik8711
      @eirik8711 2 роки тому +11

      @@timkey_4542 Fix the transmissions and put more reliable engines, in first, and then think about adding more weight to already underpowered vehicles IMO. The lifespans may be extended with 10yrs at the most probably

    • @YukarisGearReviews
      @YukarisGearReviews 2 роки тому +11

      None at all. German designs would be worse in every way, but none of these vehicles have the survivability (armor or post-pen) to live on a modern battlefield.

  • @fuertenic
    @fuertenic 2 роки тому

    Could you do a video on how to play it? How to approach the enemies?

  • @joshuamueller3206
    @joshuamueller3206 2 роки тому

    I like these informative videos a lot more than the videos complaining about War Thunder's myriad problems, real or precieved.