Ukraine developed new shields for its US-made Bradleys, which are excelling against Russia

Sinéad Baker
Updated ·2 min read
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  • Ukraine has developed new shields for its US-made Bradley armored vehicles amid drone threats.

  • The company making the shields said testing was successful, and they were starting mass production.

  • Ukraine has also created shields for its tanks as both sides try to protect their gear from drones.

Ukraine has created new shields for its US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, which have become a key tool in the fight back against Russia's invasion but are targets for Russian drone attacks.

Oleksandr Myronenko, the chief operating officer of Ukraine's Metinvest Group, told Newsweek that the shields, which cost about $2 million each, were "successful in testing" and that the company was "moving into mass production."

The shield is a sliding screen on top of the M2 Bradleys.

Myronenko said it was more complicated than earlier designs as it needed to "slide back and forth from the top to the side of the vehicle depending on the combat situation."

Metinvest has already made screens for Ukrainian tanks and said in May that it had made 25 screens, including for the US Abrams tank.

It said it was giving the screens to Ukraine's military for free.

Ukraine has received more than 300 Bradleys from the US and has used them to transport troops and target Russian armor, bunkers, and infantry.

The vehicles first entered service in the US in the 1980s, and, despite their age compared with some equipment given to Ukraine by its allies, the Bradleys have been celebrated for their successes.

Soldiers on an M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle in a barren field.
Ukrainian soldiers on an M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.Global Images Ukraine | Getty Images

The vehicles are more maneuverable and repairable than some heavier armor and are also able to strike back.

Bradleys have been filmed going head-to-head against Russia's armored vehicles, including Russia's most advanced tank, the T-90M.

One video from earlier this year showed two Bradleys repeatedly hitting a T-90M before its crew abandoned it and a drone appeared to finish it off.

The Pentagon press secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, described the Bradley as a "tank killer," even though it's not a tank itself.

But Bradleys, like most of Ukraine's equipment, are targets for Russian drones.

Drones have been used more in this war than in any other conflict in history, with both sides using them to take out equipment and soldiers and to gather intelligence to direct more powerful weaponry.

The prevalence of drones, where sometimes dozens of drones can go after one target, means battlefield tactics constantly have to adapt — including ways to protect high-value tanks and armored vehicles.

That means new types of shielding are being tried and tested in this war, including improvised armor on tanks and nets designed to trap drones.

Correction: July 29, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated when Metinvest said it had made 25 screens for Ukraine. It was in May, not June.

Read the original article on Business Insider