The Army Needs To Extend Active Protection To Bradley Fighting Vehicles (From 1945)

The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows that the world is not finished with industrial-age warfare. It also underscores the critical role of heavy armor in at least some future high-end conflicts. The large losses in armored fighting vehicles suffered by both sides are not an argument against tanks and armored fighting vehicles but a reflection, at least in part, of the lack of active protection systems for those platforms. U.S. M1 Abrams tanks sent to Europe are equipped with such a system, called Trophy. Trophy protects against a range of anti-tank projectiles. Similar protection is now available for other armored vehicles, particularly the Bradley Fighting Vehicles that accompany M1s in the Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) into combat. If the Army wants to project a credible conventional deterrent to future Russian aggression, it would, at a minimum, equip the Bradleys in those ABCTs whose Abrams have active protection with their own active protection system, the Iron Fist. I have written more on this subject here.