The US military intends to convert some of the M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in storage into equipment depicting a likely enemy during exercises. We are talking about imitations of the Russian T-72BZ and the Chinese-made VN17 infantry fighting vehicle.
New US Opfor vehicles. pic.twitter.com/M71u3cWQHX
— Kein Mensch Kein Tier (@KampfmitKette) February 1, 2022
The Russian main battle tank will, apparently, be reproduced in the 2016 version of the sample. This is evidenced by massive fake side screens and lattice anti-cumulative screens covering the rear projections of the hull.
Containers depicting built-in dynamic protection are installed on the tower and in the front of the hull. The regular 25-mm automatic gun M242 Bushmaster was replaced with a mock-up of a 125-mm gun 2A46M-5 with a length of several meters. Two "spare fuel tanks" are suspended from the rear.
Despite the fact that all the parts available on the present upgraded "seventy-second" seem to be installed, this imitation is very vaguely reminiscent of the original, although it looks much better than the previously released version made on the chassis of the M113 armored personnel carrier.
As for the "VN17", this sample looks more like a real 30-ton BMP, although the tower looks too massive.
The only surprise is that the Americans made an imitation of an export machine that is not in service with the People's Liberation Army of China and was not supplied abroad.
Apparently, this equipment will go to the US Army National Training Center (Fort Irwin, Mojave Desert, California).
It is also planned to supply running models of the 2S6 Tunguska and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and cannon complexes.
Alexey Moiseev
