BAE Systems to supply more Bradley IFVs under $190 million contract with US Army
BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to produce more M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles, an upgrade of M2A2 IFVs.(Photo: US Army National Guard)
BAE Systems has been awarded a contract modification worth over $190 million to produce more Bradley A4 IFVs, enhancing the US Army's Armoured Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT) with increased capability.
The award includes more than 70 M2A4 IFV and M7A4 fire support team vehicles. This award follows the Early Order Material awards in August and November 2022. Continued upgrades to the A4 from the M2A2 Operation Desert Storm – Situational Awareness (ODS-SA) variant is part of the army’s combat vehicle modernisation strategy to ensure force readiness of the ABCT.
The first Bradley A4 was handed over to the army in June 2020, a delay on the planned handover date of February 2020.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that the US Army originally envisaged upgrading 1,860 Bradleys to A4 standard, sufficient to equip 15 ABCTs. However, current plans call for only five brigades to be equipped with Bradley A4s, one of which will be deployed to support the European Defence Initiative and an order has been placed for 491 vehicles.
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In the longer term, older Bradley M2 IFVs which are not upgraded to A4 could gradually start retiring from 2030 onwards depending on the progress of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition, now dubbed XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.
The M2A2 standard is also finding new life with other customers with Croatia having ordered vehicles and Ukraine also receiving the type.
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