U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is delivering the first shipment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine as part of the United States’ $2.85 billion military aid agreement announced earlier this year. The shipment — containing more than 60 Bradleys — left the shores of North Charleston, South Carolina, last week, and will provide the Ukrainian forces with additional offensive and defensive capabilities to protect their borders against Russia’s illegal invasion. Bradleys are armored fighting vehicle that transport infantry in combat zones and provide supportive fires. Helping oversee the loading of the equipment is Army Lt. Col. Rebecca D’Angelo, 841st Transportation Battalion commander, who notes that the Bradleys will be essential to Ukraine as the war continues.
“The situation in Ukraine really brought to the forefront the importance of logistics and the complexity of power projection and sustainment. Our support to Ukraine would not be possible without the strong relationships we have with our Allies and Partners that provided the access, basing, and overflight to facilitate the delivery of aid. The Bradley is a very powerful vehicle that we are providing to the Ukrainians. This is going to hopefully enhance their capabilities to provide forward advancement in the battlefield and regain lost grounds, by having equipment that matches or exceeds what the Russians have,” said Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, USTRANSCOM commander, during an interview with Joint Force Quarterly.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle platform of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named after U.S. General Omar Bradley. The Bradley was developed largely in response to the Soviet BMP family of infantry fighting vehicles. The Bradley was meant to serve as both an armored personnel carrier and a tank-killer. One design requirement specified that it should be as fast as the M1 Abrams main battle tank, so the vehicles could maintain formation. Along with the 60 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles with 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition, the Biden Administration has announced an additional $2.5 billion in security assistance. This brings the total U.S. contribution to the effort to $27.1 billion since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
While this is short of a complete list of equipment and nations aiding Ukraine, the influx of materiel is crucial as Russia’s attacks near the Donetsk province city of Bakhmut escalate. USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of eleven unified commands of the United States Department of Defense. USTRANSCOM conducts globally integrated mobility operations, leads the broader Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise, and provides enabling capabilities in order to project and sustain the Joint Force in support of national objectives. The mission of USTRANSCOM is to provide air, land and sea transportation for the Department of Defense, both in time of peace and time of war. USTRANSCOM, located at Scott Air Force Base Illinois, was established in 1987.
