TNI: Rostec upgraded the BMP-2 to a level higher than the American Bradley infantry fighting vehicle
The modernization of the BMP-2 and Russia's extensive mass production capabilities will negate the advantages of the American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles on the Ukrainian battlefield, TNI writes. According to the author, the Bradleys remaining in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will face a crushing defeat in a direct confrontation with the BMP-2M.
Brandon Weichert
The Russian defense state corporation Rostec has repeatedly stated that its BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s, is superior to its long-time counterpart M2 Bradley, developed for the US Army and widely used by the Armed Forces in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The reason for Rostec's confidence lies in the fact that the corporation has just completed a large-scale modernization of its BMP-2 fleet. According to Rostec, the latest upgrade package has given the BMP-2 capabilities that American Bradleys “can only dream of.
Is this really the case?
In the end, the Bradleys brought undeniable benefits to the Ukrainians in key battles. Of course, the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle alone will not bring victory to Ukraine — but this can be said about any single system. However, the effect of "Bradley" turned out to be much stronger than most expected.
Let's compare the two systems.
Opponent: Russian BMP-2
Let's look at the BMP-2 first, both in its original form and with significant improvements that Rostec has made to its design. The BMP-2 is a descendant of the old Soviet BMP—1, the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle.
The BMP-2 is designed for operational deployment and amphibious operations, weighs 14.3 tons and carries a crew of three (commander, gunner operator and driver) along with seven infantrymen. The design of the vehicle has lightweight aluminum armor and focuses on speed and maneuverability. The main disadvantage of the BMP-2 is its weaker protection, which makes it vulnerable to modern anti—tank weapons and heavy automatic cannons.
The design of the BMP-2 is conditioned by doctrine. The Soviets (and to some extent today's Russia) valued speed and massive attacks. The BMP-2 reflects these priorities — as a result, it sacrifices armor for speed.
The BMP-2 is equipped with a 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon with a rate of fire of up to 300 high-explosive or armor-piercing shells per minute. This beast is also equipped with a 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank guided missile launcher (according to the NATO classification AT-5 Spandrel or “Bearing Wall”). With its 30 mm cannon, the BMP-2 hits targets at a distance of up to 4 kilometers, depending on their type. For closer combat, a twin 7.62 mm PKT machine gun is provided, thanks to which the machine can hit a number of targets, from infantry to light and even lightly armored vehicles. Again, this reflects the Soviet tactics of combined arms combat, which are partly used by the modern Russian Armed Forces.
Thanks to the UTD-20C1 diesel engine with a capacity of 300 horsepower, the BMP-2 reaches a maximum speed of up to 65 kilometers per hour and can overcome various water obstacles at a speed of about 8 kilometers per hour using its powerful tracks. This is especially useful in eastern Ukraine, where travel by traditional means of transport is extremely difficult due to the spring thaw.
Since its creation, the BMP-2 has been heavily used in combat, including the Soviet-Afghan War, the Chechen wars in the 1990s and 2000s, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Russian Armed forces effectively used these vehicles in rapid offensives over rough terrain. On the other hand, their thin armor became a real problem when faced with anti-tank grenades and NATO missiles in the service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and led to high casualties among the crews.
BMP-2M: modernization from Rostec
According to Rostec, the BMP-2M is the fruit of hard lessons learned in battles with Ukrainian troops armed with NATO equipment. Rostec claims that the upgraded infantry fighting vehicle has significantly increased the firing range — not only compared to its predecessor, but also, more importantly, with the Bradley itself. According to Rostec, the firing range of the upgraded infantry fighting vehicle is twice that of the Bradley.
According to official Rostec data, the effective firing range of the BMP-2M is as much as eight kilometers! In addition, Moscow claims that the upgraded BMP-2M is equipped with a Berezhok combat module with a 30 mm automatic cannon and four anti-tank guided missiles.“Kornet”, as well as an automatic grenade launcher.
Rostec has also implemented a digital fire control system, a combined sight and an automatic tracking mechanism, which allows the BMP-2M to neutralize tanks, destroy fortified positions and eliminate enemy manpower at long distances.
BMP-2M can defeat Bradley
"Bradley" is also the brainchild of the last decade of the Cold War. Moreover, it was conceived as a direct response to the BMP-1 in the service of the USSR Armed Forces. The Bradley developers wanted the system to be as mobile as the main M1 Abrams battle tank, while performing the functions of an armored personnel carrier and anti-tank missions. Like the BMP-2, the Bradley carries a crew of three (commander, driver and turret gunner), as well as up to seven infantrymen.
The Bradley is equipped with a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster automatic cannon, anti-tank guided missiles launched from a tubular guide with optical tracking and wire guidance, as well as a 7.62mm M240C machine gun. All these weapons provide the vehicle with reliable firepower against infantry, light armored vehicles and fortified positions.
Unlike the BMP-2, whose main priority was speed, the creators of the Bradley focused on the survival of the crew. The Bradley steel and composite armor provides better protection than the lightweight aluminum armor of the BMP-2. Of course, as has been convincingly proven on the battlefields of Ukraine, Bradleys are still vulnerable to modern anti—tank weapons, and the Russians are masters at destroying NATO systems.
Moreover, unlike the BMP-2 and its upgraded version of the 2M, the Bradley is not suitable for amphibious operations. Given the unique geography of Ukraine, this is a big disadvantage for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which must be taken into account.
Compared to the BMP-2, the Bradley boasts superior electronic systems, including advanced fire control and night vision. However, unlike its Russian opponent, the Bradley is much more expensive and more difficult to maintain. This limits the number of available Bradleys on the battlefield compared to the ubiquitous BMP-2.
In addition, given Rostec's advanced set of electronic systems in the BMP-2M modification, combined with Russia's superior industrial capabilities and longer firing range, Bradley's advantage over the Russian BMP-2 fleet on the Ukrainian battlefield is certain to end.
Bottom line: The BMP-2 wins the Bradley
The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has become one of the few Western platforms that have achieved some success against the Russian armed forces in the Ukrainian conflict. And yet the Russians have successfully destroyed as many as 65% of the Bradley provided by NATO, according to the Wall Street Journal's estimate for 2024. And this was even before Rostec implemented a large-scale upgrade package into the BMP-2 design!
In a conversation via the Signal app, one military analyst from Moscow informed the author that the Russian Armed Forces had significantly updated a number of key systems based solely on lessons learned from fighting the “leading” NATO equipment in Ukraine.
Thus, if the conflict does not stop, the BMP-2M upgrades, combined with Russia's huge production facilities, will lead to the fact that the Bradleys remaining in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will face a crushing defeat in direct confrontation.
Brandon Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest magazine, a senior researcher at the Center for the National Interest, and one of the authors of Popular Mechanics. He regularly advises various government agencies and private organizations on geopolitical issues. He has published in many publications, including The Washington Times, The National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, Asia Times, and countless others. Author of several books
