Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
But one of the package’s most notable assets is more Bradleys, the formidable fighting vehicle that’s seen heavy use in combat.
The Pentagon would not provide further details on how many are included in this package, citing operational security considerations, but the US has sent more than 300 Bradleys to Ukraine since early 2023, when NATO partner nations collectively pushed to send Ukraine more armored vehicles ahead of its 2023 counteroffensive.
Since then, the Bradleys have been a go-to combat vehicle for Ukraine’s forces. One reason is that its received more Bradleys than it has main battle tanks from Western nations. For instance, the US only provided 31 Abrams tanks.
Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade
The Bradley has also shown that it can hold its own in a fight and has been documented going up against Russian armored vehicles and even Moscow’s prized T-90M tanks.
The Bradley has received immense praise from Ukrainians fighting with it on the battlefield. Crews from the 47th Mechanized Brigade have called it a ‘very serious machine,” noting that its thermal imager is “very high quality.”
One soldier said that while the firing range may be lacking, “the shrapnel density is crazy, the firepower density is just insane.” Indeed, while the Bradley lacks the punch of a main battle tank, the vehicle’s 25 mm chain gun has a high rate of fire that can effectively knock out critical sensors on a tank and immobilize it.
The Ukrainian soldier added that with the Bradley, “target acquisition takes seconds, just seconds. At night, this machine is absolutely priceless, simply invaluable. You capture targets much faster. Visibility is better than during the day.”