Editing Bradley Fighting Vehicle (section)

==History==
Class: Infantry Fighting Vehicle<br>
Developed: 1972-1980<br>
Service: 1981+<br>
Vehicles Built: 6720<br>
Operators: USA, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Croatia

The Bradley is the principal Infantry Fighting Vehicle of the U.S. Army. It went through a long development process that involved multiple stages. What was supposed to be a simple vehicle however became over time one of the most complex and expensive infantry fighting vehicles of all times with its development especially long and troubled.

The Bradley family is generally referred to as “Bradley Fighting Vehicle” and it is named after General Omar Bradley, famous American Second World War commander who led the US 1st Army during the D-Day and beyond. The Bradley was born out of the necessity to replace the aging M113 APCs and to match the IFV development of the Soviet Union since the Soviet army had been for a time equipped with the best armed infantry fighting vehicles in the world. It started out as an APC program but soon evolved into a full-fledged IFV with powerful armament. Its most notable features include aluminum armor (less durable but lighter since the Bradley was supposed to be amphibious), a manned turret armed with a Bushmaster autocannon and an integrated TOW ATGM launcher.

The Bradley entered service in 1981 and remains active in the U.S. Army to this day. It has seen a lot of successful combat during the Gulf War and the Iraq War, making it almost as famous as the Abrams. Unlike its former Soviet counterparts, it has never been massively exported with the only major foreign user being Saudi Arabia. In one form or another, it is therefore expected to serve for many years to come even when the United States are already looking for a replacement. Recently, the United States have started offering the vehicle for free to potentially interested parties such as Croatia or even Greece.

The comedy movie Pentagon Wars deals with Bradley's problematic development process and procurement.