The U.S. Army and BAE Systems definitized a contract modification worth over $440 million to produce additional Bradley Fighting Vehicles. This award includes the production of more than 200 A4 variants. The order will be delivered to the Army as a modernized replacement to some of the Bradleys that the U.S. government has provided to Ukraine. Production and support efforts for the Bradley A4 take place across BAE Systems’ robust industrial network including Aiken, South Carolina; Anniston, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; and York, Pennsylvania.
“The Bradley Fighting Vehicle brings game-changing capabilities to the Army and our allied nations. Because of the support for additional production of the modern Bradley A4 variant, this enduring capability continues to make a difference for troops all over the world, ensuring they have the firepower, mobility and survivability they need to achieve their missions. The Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle dominates in today’s battlefields and is ready for future fights,” said Dan Furber, director of ground vehicle production for BAE Systems’ Combat Mission Systems business.
The Bradley A4 is a critical, next-generation capability in the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) formation. It’s a proven system that enhances battlefield performance to meet a variety of mission requirements in various combat situations. Built with proven durability and commonality of design to reduce the logistics burden, the Bradley A4 features digitized electronics for optimum situational awareness, network connectivity and communication within the ABCT. It greatly improves Soldier safety and the ability to defeat the adversary no matter the terrain, temperature or threat.
BAE Systems are working with the U.S. Army to upgrade the Bradley A4. The Bradley M2A4E1 will be the most advanced and survivable configuration yet. The M2A4E1 version most notably features the Israeli Iron Fist Light, a hard-kill active protection system designed primarily to physically destroy or at least disrupt incoming anti-tank guided missiles and other infantry anti-armor weapons like rocket-propelled grenades. This system could potentially also help defend against the growing threat posed by drones. It is unclear how many M2A4E1s the Army currently plans to acquire and how many of them will be converted from existing models.
