Difference between revisions of "M3 Bradley"

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(This article was lacking in a lot of information. Fixed some sections that were no longer up-to-date, added info on the TOW missiles, and added the use in battle section.)
(Edits.)
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<!--Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?-->
 
<!--Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?-->
  
−
Armour protection of the Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is relatively weak, it does offer protection from machine guns and some lower penetrating autocannon fire from the front, but most autocannons will easily penetrate the sides of the vehicle damaging components, crew and often detonating ammo stored in the rear of the vehicle. As aside, the engine mounted in front of the vehicle will offer some protection from main guns on tanks by absorbing spalling, saving crew members and preventing ammo detonations. Getting your gunner shot out is common, however, the breech of the autocannon is very small and therefore does not generally get knocked out. The vehicle does not often hull break although losing too many crew members is common, as there are only 3 in the tank.
+
Armour protection of the Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is relatively weak, it does offer protection from machine guns and some lower penetrating autocannon fire from the front, but most autocannons will easily penetrate the sides of the vehicle damaging components, crew and often detonating ammo stored in the rear of the vehicle. As aside, the engine mounted in front of the vehicle will offer some protection from main guns on tanks by absorbing spalling, saving crew members and preventing ammo detonations. Getting your gunner shot out is common, however, the breach of the autocannon is very small and therefore does not generally get knocked out. The vehicle does not often hull break although losing too many crew members is common, as there are only 3 in the tank.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
 +
<!--''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''-->
 
The M3 Bradley comes equipped with a BGM-71B TOW ATGM launcher. The launcher contains two TOW missiles, which can be fired one after another in quick succession. Then, they are reloaded. Before you can fire, though, you have to be either stopped or moving at very low speeds, around 10kph. At higher speeds, the launcher folds up against the turret. When you stop, it takes time for the launcher to unfold before you can fire. This is where cruise control can be important. The first cruise control setting for forward and reverse speed is the "battle" setting. This controls the speed of the vehicle to where it is slow enough that you can fire the TOW missiles on the move. As before stated, this speed is very low, only about 10kph, so you should probably not drive in this mode of cruise control for the whole battle.
 
The M3 Bradley comes equipped with a BGM-71B TOW ATGM launcher. The launcher contains two TOW missiles, which can be fired one after another in quick succession. Then, they are reloaded. Before you can fire, though, you have to be either stopped or moving at very low speeds, around 10kph. At higher speeds, the launcher folds up against the turret. When you stop, it takes time for the launcher to unfold before you can fire. This is where cruise control can be important. The first cruise control setting for forward and reverse speed is the "battle" setting. This controls the speed of the vehicle to where it is slow enough that you can fire the TOW missiles on the move. As before stated, this speed is very low, only about 10kph, so you should probably not drive in this mode of cruise control for the whole battle.
  
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|}
 
|}
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
−
One way the Bradley can be played is as an ambush vehicle. Find a good location where you have sufficient cover to protect you, but where you can see at least one lane of attack that the enemy is likely to use. Since you will be sitting still, your TOW launcher will be deployed, and you can fire TOW missiles whenever you need to. The best way to use the TOW missiles is to hit the enemy in the side. 2 TOW missiles to the side should almost always kill a tank if well aimed.
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
One way the Bradley can be played is as an ambush vehicle. Find a good location where you have sufficient protective cover to secure your position, but where you can see at least one lane of attack that the enemy is likely to use. Since you will be sitting still, your TOW launcher will be deployed, and you can fire TOW missiles whenever you need to. The best way to use the TOW missiles is to hit the enemy in the side. Two TOW missiles to the side should almost always kill a tank if well aimed.
  
−
Another way to use the Bradley is to get hull down, at long range and use the TOW launcher to deadly effect. Since you do not have to calculate for drop for ATGMs, you should be able to reliably hit your target and do major damage. Because you are firing at such long range, it is likely the enemy will not spot you in time to shoot at you, or they will miss at least their first shot.
+
Another way to use the Bradley is to get hull down, at long range and use the TOW launcher to deadly effect. Since you do not have to calculate for drop for ATGMs, you should be able to reliably hit your target and do major damage. Because you are firing at such long-range, it is likely the enemy will not spot you in time to shoot at you, or they will miss at least their first shot.
  
−
The Bradley can also be used effectively in urban combat. If you pick a side street to set up, when the enemy goes past, hopefully without seeing you , you will be able to hit them in the side with the TOW launcher.
+
The Bradley can also be used effectively in urban combat. If you pick a side street to set up, when the enemy goes past, hopefully without seeing you, you will be able to hit them in the side with the TOW launcher.
  
−
In arcade mode, the Bradley can be used very effectively as an anti-aircraft vehicle. Since in arcade you get a lead indicator, you should be able to accurately hit planes and helicopters. When using the HEI-T* ammunition one to two hits is usually fatal for an aircraft. TOW missiles can be used to great effect against helicopters as well, but it is probably smarter to save the ATGM's for ground targets. Also, it can be hard to hit a moving helicopter with an ATGM for someone who's inexperienced with ATGM's.
+
In arcade mode, the Bradley can be used very effectively as an anti-aircraft vehicle. Since in arcade you get a lead indicator, you should be able to accurately hit planes and helicopters. When using the HEI-T* ammunition one to two hits is usually fatal for an aircraft. TOW missiles can be used to great effect against helicopters as well, but it is probably smarter to save the ATGMs for ground targets. Also, it can be hard to hit a moving helicopter with an ATGM for someone who's inexperienced with ATGMs.
  
−
One last note: the TOW missiles should be your primary weapon, not your autocannon. Firing the autocannon will likely give away your position instantly, so unless you have already been seen, or if you know you can kill the target quickly, do not use the autocannon. The autocannon can not effectively destroy tanks, but is mostly just effective against SPAA's and light tanks. Those targets can also kill you very easily though, so it is almost always better to use the TOW missiles, in order to destroy the enemy tank quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, if an enemy tank is at close range, and has spotted you, you can often use the autocannon to damage or destroy their gun barrel with multiple, well aimed, shots, to by yourself more time.
+
One last note: the TOW missiles should be your primary weapon, not your autocannon. Firing the autocannon will likely give away your position instantly, so unless you have already been seen, or if you know you can kill the target quickly, do not use the autocannon. The autocannon can not effectively destroy tanks but is mostly just effective against SPAA's and light tanks. Those targets can also kill you very easily though, so it is almost always better to use the TOW missiles, in order to destroy the enemy tank quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, if an enemy tank is at close range, and has spotted you, you can often use the autocannon to damage or destroy their gun barrel with multiple, well-aimed, shots, to by yourself more time.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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* Low repair and ammo costs
 
* Low repair and ammo costs
 
* Massive radiator makes tank hull semi-invulnerable to APHE from the right side, can even survive 3 direct hits from the [[Maus]] if lucky enough
 
* Massive radiator makes tank hull semi-invulnerable to APHE from the right side, can even survive 3 direct hits from the [[Maus]] if lucky enough
−
* Outclasses stock 35 mm autocannon tanks which use API or APHE as long as long-range (about 1.1 km) and moderate front armour angle are kept, can even sustain low calibre APDS and HVAP hits from spaded light tanks, if it has the high ground
+
* Outclasses stock 35 mm autocannon tanks which use API or APHE as long as long-range (about 1.1 km) and moderate front armour angle is kept, can even sustain low calibre APDS and HVAP hits from spaded light tanks if it has the high ground
 
* Can fire missiles at "combat" cruise control, albeit only at about 9 km/h (can be considered as a downgrade after [[M551]], but it's still better than most light tanks)
 
* Can fire missiles at "combat" cruise control, albeit only at about 9 km/h (can be considered as a downgrade after [[M551]], but it's still better than most light tanks)
−
* 25mm autocannon can easy tear through lightly armored SPAA's
+
* 25mm autocannon can easily tear through lightly armoured SPAAs
 
* TOW missiles capable of penetrating many tanks of it's BR from the front with ease
 
* TOW missiles capable of penetrating many tanks of it's BR from the front with ease
  
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== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
 
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.''-->
−
Development of the Bradley began in the late 1950s, when the U.S. Army began seeking a replacement for the aging M113 APC. However, despite beginning development relatively early, the successor to the M113 wouldn’t enter service with the Army in the following two decades.
+
Development of the Bradley began in the late 1950s when the U.S. Army began seeking a replacement for the ageing M113 APC. However, despite beginning development relatively early, the successor to the M113 wouldn’t enter service with the Army in the following two decades.
  
−
The reason behind this was the constantly changing specifications, requirements and doctrines around which the new vehicle would be designed. The constantly changing requirements on the other hand, were driven by various technical and political problems arising during development.
+
The reason behind this was the constantly changing specifications, requirements and doctrines around which the new vehicle would be designed. The constantly changing requirements, on the other hand, were driven by various technical and political problems arising during development.
  
 
Eventually, in 1979, the final design was presented to the Army and production was approved shortly afterwards in 1980. The Bradley, named after WW2 Army General Omar Bradley, was split into two versions, both closely resembling each other, but featuring minor differences and intended for different roles.
 
Eventually, in 1979, the final design was presented to the Army and production was approved shortly afterwards in 1980. The Bradley, named after WW2 Army General Omar Bradley, was split into two versions, both closely resembling each other, but featuring minor differences and intended for different roles.
  
−
While the M2 Bradley was intended as an IFV, capable of transporting and supporting infantry units in combat, the M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is intended to perform scouting and reconnaissance work, ditching its infantry-carrying ability in favor of improved communications systems and increased ammunition capacity.
+
While the M2 Bradley was intended as an IFV, capable of transporting and supporting infantry units in combat, the M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is intended to perform scouting and reconnaissance work, ditching its infantry-carrying ability in favour of improved communications systems and increased ammunition capacity.
  
 
The Bradley entered service with the U.S. Army in 1981 and saw extensive combat use during the Gulf War as well as subsequent conflicts. Despite several (unsuccessful) efforts being made to replace the Bradley with a newer design, the vehicle still remains in active service with U.S. armed forces today, with over 6,500 units produced.
 
The Bradley entered service with the U.S. Army in 1981 and saw extensive combat use during the Gulf War as well as subsequent conflicts. Despite several (unsuccessful) efforts being made to replace the Bradley with a newer design, the vehicle still remains in active service with U.S. armed forces today, with over 6,500 units produced.

Revision as of 22:20, 24 March 2020

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
M3 Bradley
us_m3_bradley.png
M3 Bradley
USA flag.png USA
VI Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
8.3 8.3 8.3
Class:
Research:160 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:450 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game
This page is about the light tank M3 Bradley. For other uses, see M3 (Disambiguation).

Description

GarageImage M3 Bradley.jpg


The Fighting Vehicle, Cavalry, M3, or M3 Bradley, is a Rank VI USA light tank with a battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour protection of the Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is relatively weak, it does offer protection from machine guns and some lower penetrating autocannon fire from the front, but most autocannons will easily penetrate the sides of the vehicle damaging components, crew and often detonating ammo stored in the rear of the vehicle. As aside, the engine mounted in front of the vehicle will offer some protection from main guns on tanks by absorbing spalling, saving crew members and preventing ammo detonations. Getting your gunner shot out is common, however, the breach of the autocannon is very small and therefore does not generally get knocked out. The vehicle does not often hull break although losing too many crew members is common, as there are only 3 in the tank.

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 74 16 22.3 786 967 35.25 43.36
Realistic 66 14 448 507 20.09 22.74

The M3 Bradley has a maximum speed forward of 66 km/h or 49 km/h in battlefield conditions as well as -12 km/h in reverse. The transmission features 6 forward gears, 2 reverse as well as neutral steering. The vehicle is quite nimble and really only struggles to neutral steer in thick mud. Its lightweight allows it to traverse steep inclines with ease. It should be noted that the vehicles TOW missile launcher will automatically retract when the vehicle reaches speeds in excess of 10km/h.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: M242 (25 mm)
25 mm M242
Capacity (Belt capacity each) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
900 (300) 201 -9°/+59° ±180° Two-plane
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 57.1 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 35.7 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
0.3 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
M791 APDS 81 80 76 70 66 61
M792 HEI-T* 2 2 2 1 1 1
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
M791 APDS 1,345 0.46 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 75° 78° 80°
M792 HEI-T* 1,100 0.50 0.4 0.1 32 +0° 79° 80° 81°

Additional armament

The M3 Bradley comes equipped with a BGM-71B TOW ATGM launcher. The launcher contains two TOW missiles, which can be fired one after another in quick succession. Then, they are reloaded. Before you can fire, though, you have to be either stopped or moving at very low speeds, around 10kph. At higher speeds, the launcher folds up against the turret. When you stop, it takes time for the launcher to unfold before you can fire. This is where cruise control can be important. The first cruise control setting for forward and reverse speed is the "battle" setting. This controls the speed of the vehicle to where it is slow enough that you can fire the TOW missiles on the move. As before stated, this speed is very low, only about 10kph, so you should probably not drive in this mode of cruise control for the whole battle.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of

warhead

Penetration in mm @ 0° Angle of Attack
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
TOW ATGM 430 430 430 430 430 430
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
TOW ATGM 299 18.8 N/A .1 2.45 N/A 80° 82° 90°

Machine guns

Main article: M240 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm M240
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
4,400 (200) 750 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

One way the Bradley can be played is as an ambush vehicle. Find a good location where you have sufficient protective cover to secure your position, but where you can see at least one lane of attack that the enemy is likely to use. Since you will be sitting still, your TOW launcher will be deployed, and you can fire TOW missiles whenever you need to. The best way to use the TOW missiles is to hit the enemy in the side. Two TOW missiles to the side should almost always kill a tank if well aimed.

Another way to use the Bradley is to get hull down, at long range and use the TOW launcher to deadly effect. Since you do not have to calculate for drop for ATGMs, you should be able to reliably hit your target and do major damage. Because you are firing at such long-range, it is likely the enemy will not spot you in time to shoot at you, or they will miss at least their first shot.

The Bradley can also be used effectively in urban combat. If you pick a side street to set up, when the enemy goes past, hopefully without seeing you, you will be able to hit them in the side with the TOW launcher.

In arcade mode, the Bradley can be used very effectively as an anti-aircraft vehicle. Since in arcade you get a lead indicator, you should be able to accurately hit planes and helicopters. When using the HEI-T* ammunition one to two hits is usually fatal for an aircraft. TOW missiles can be used to great effect against helicopters as well, but it is probably smarter to save the ATGMs for ground targets. Also, it can be hard to hit a moving helicopter with an ATGM for someone who's inexperienced with ATGMs.

One last note: the TOW missiles should be your primary weapon, not your autocannon. Firing the autocannon will likely give away your position instantly, so unless you have already been seen, or if you know you can kill the target quickly, do not use the autocannon. The autocannon can not effectively destroy tanks but is mostly just effective against SPAA's and light tanks. Those targets can also kill you very easily though, so it is almost always better to use the TOW missiles, in order to destroy the enemy tank quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, if an enemy tank is at close range, and has spotted you, you can often use the autocannon to damage or destroy their gun barrel with multiple, well-aimed, shots, to by yourself more time.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excels at urban combat, as the gun can be effective when engaging MBTs, except for the Russian MBTs
  • Low repair and ammo costs
  • Massive radiator makes tank hull semi-invulnerable to APHE from the right side, can even survive 3 direct hits from the Maus if lucky enough
  • Outclasses stock 35 mm autocannon tanks which use API or APHE as long as long-range (about 1.1 km) and moderate front armour angle is kept, can even sustain low calibre APDS and HVAP hits from spaded light tanks if it has the high ground
  • Can fire missiles at "combat" cruise control, albeit only at about 9 km/h (can be considered as a downgrade after M551, but it's still better than most light tanks)
  • 25mm autocannon can easily tear through lightly armoured SPAAs
  • TOW missiles capable of penetrating many tanks of it's BR from the front with ease

Cons:

  • Additional side armour plates and turret frontal slope protect against 12.7 machine guns, but will always set off APHE, so caution is required
  • M242 cannon has a low rate of fire compared to the M242 used on the ADATS
  • Not entirety of the sides of the hull are protected from machine guns and autocannons, the missile ammo rack in the back and ventilation are vulnerable, turret ring can be exploited by high fire rate autocannons
  • Relatively slow
  • A rather tall and large target, meaning it is very easy to spot
  • Quick firing SPAA's can kill you very quickly
  • Engine, transmission and driver at front of the vehicle are very prone to damage, although it is better to lose them, than the entire tank
  • TOW missiles have trouble penetrating later Russian tanks from the front

History

Development of the Bradley began in the late 1950s when the U.S. Army began seeking a replacement for the ageing M113 APC. However, despite beginning development relatively early, the successor to the M113 wouldn’t enter service with the Army in the following two decades.

The reason behind this was the constantly changing specifications, requirements and doctrines around which the new vehicle would be designed. The constantly changing requirements, on the other hand, were driven by various technical and political problems arising during development.

Eventually, in 1979, the final design was presented to the Army and production was approved shortly afterwards in 1980. The Bradley, named after WW2 Army General Omar Bradley, was split into two versions, both closely resembling each other, but featuring minor differences and intended for different roles.

While the M2 Bradley was intended as an IFV, capable of transporting and supporting infantry units in combat, the M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) is intended to perform scouting and reconnaissance work, ditching its infantry-carrying ability in favour of improved communications systems and increased ammunition capacity.

The Bradley entered service with the U.S. Army in 1981 and saw extensive combat use during the Gulf War as well as subsequent conflicts. Despite several (unsuccessful) efforts being made to replace the Bradley with a newer design, the vehicle still remains in active service with U.S. armed forces today, with over 6,500 units produced.

- From Devblog

Media

Skins and camouflages for the M3 Bradley from live.warthunder.com.

Videos
The Shooting Range #126 - Pages of History section at 05:52 discusses the M3 Bradley.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


USA light tanks
LVT  LVT(A)(1) · ○LVT(A)(1) · LVT(A)(4)
M2  M2A2 · M2A4 · M2A4 (1st Arm.Div.)
M3/M5 Stuart  M3 Stuart · M3A1 Stuart · M3A1 (USMC) · M5A1 · M5A1 TD · ▃Stuart VI (5th CAD)
M22 Locust  M22
M24 Chaffee  M24 · M24 (TL)
M18 Hellcat  M18 GMC · M18 "Black Cat" · Super Hellcat
M41 Walker Bulldog  M41A1
M551 Sheridan  M551 · M551(76)
M3 Bradley  M3 Bradley · M3A3 Bradley
Wheeled  M8 LAC · T18E2 · M1128 · M1128 Wolfpack
Other  M8A1 GMC · T92 · T114 · HSTV-L · CCVL · XM8 · XM800T · AGS

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