M2/M3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1983-95 (New Vanguard) [Paperback]

Steven Zaloga (Author), Peter Sarson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: New Vanguard | Publication Date: January 15, 1996

One of the most sophisticated armoured fighting vehicles in the world, the M2/M3 Bradley is the United States equivalent of the British Warrior, combining the role of personnel carrier with the formidable armament of a 25mm cannon and TOW anti-tank missiles. With a maximum road speed of 66kmh it also has a degree of manoeuvrability dreamed of by other armoured vehicles. In this book Steven Zaloga examines the different variants of the Bradley in detail and looks at the changing tactical requirements of the US Army for an armoured personnel carrier.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The unrivalled illustrated reference on fighting vehicles, transport and artillery through the ages. Each volume is illustrated throughout, making these books uniquely accessible to history enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Steven J. Zaloga was born in 1952, received his BA in history from Union College, and his MA from Columbia University. He has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology, especially armoured vehicle development. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the Second World War, and he has also written extensively on American armoured forces.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (January 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325381
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325388
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., an aerospace consulting firm. His professional specialization is the commercial and technological aspects of the international trade in missiles, precision guided munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He also serves as an adjunct staff member with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank.

Mr. Zaloga has published numerous books and articles on military technology and military history. His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He has been a special correspondent for "Jane's Intelligence Review" and is on the executive board of the "Journal of Slavic Military Studies". From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/director for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series "Firepower" that aired on The Discovery Channel in the US.

Mr. Zaloga was born in 1952 and received his BA in history from Union College, Schenectady, NY. He received an MA in history from Columbia University specializing in modern East European history, and did graduate research and language study at Uniwersitet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland.

Customer Reviews

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steven J. Zaloga Shines In M2/M3 Bradley, February 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: M2/M3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1983-95 (New Vanguard) (Paperback)

This is a deceptively small book...containing a library of information. Zaloga starts with the armored personnel carriers of the 1950s, the birth of mechanized infantry combat vehicles in the Soviet BMP and West German Marder in the late 1960s, the faltering fits and starts of American MICVs of the Vietnam era, the merging of the armored cavalry and mechanized infantry requirements into one vehicle, and even mentions why heavy infantry carriers using converted tank hulls are shunned by most armies of the world. That's eleven pages of armored infantry carrying vehicle progress before Zaloga even begins to describe the Bradley Fighting Vehicle!

Zaloga leaves no stone unturned. He quotes production figures per fiscal year. He describes the difference between the M2 infantry and M3 cavalry versions down to seating capacity and ammunition loads, with plenty of accompanying photographs. He describes when these vehicles were first fielded, and when the A1 and A2 models came out. Considerable detail is given to the weapons system, fire control, ammunition (including penetration stats!), even armor and its composition and thickness. This level of detail on a vehicle still in service is unprecedented.

The only nits I could find was that Zaloga transposed H-series and J-series organization, and considering that the book was written in the mid-1990s, he doesn't mention the reorganization of Bradley squads around 1989-1990 when the six-passenger A2 series was fielded. On pages 33 and 34, he fails to mention that the 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), attached to the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), apparently never got Bradleys and went to war with M113s with Mk 19 40mm automatic grenade launchers. The figures for the armored cavalry regiment on page 34 are also off; it should be 123 tanks and 125 plus Bradleys in the regiment, with 41 of each in three squadrons, each squadron made up of three troops of nine tanks and 13 Bradleys each and one tank company of 14 tanks.

Color plates for early-to-mid 1980s plain vanilla Bradleys are also absent, but not really missed as the overall Forest Green is pretty close to the grey in the black and white pictures. One thing I really would have liked to have seen is a list of when each unit upgraded to what model of the Bradley, but that's me.

This book has an incredible amount of useful information in it about the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Technical data precise enough to be useful for wargamers, exterior and interior detail photos model builders will find most handy, evolutionary development and Gulf War descriptions for history buffs, this little book has it all. Dating from the mid 1990s, more recent developments are lacking, but still a most useful and fact-filled tome. Outstanding value for the money.