Greek army to receive 350 Bradley M2A2 IFVs and M1117 4x4 armored from US


According to enikos.gr, the plan elaborated by the General Staff of the Greek Army for the gradual replacement of the old M113 APCs indicates a will to run the procedures very quickly so that it can bring to Greece not only 1,200 M1117 Guardians, also designated Armored Security Vehicles (based on the Cadillac Gage V-100 and V-150 Commandos), but also 350 M2A2 Bradleys at the same time.
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M2A2 Bradley IFV in ODS (Operation Desert Storm) version (Picture source: U.S. Army)


The Greek team that will go to the United States for the selection of vehicles from the surplus stock of the U.S. Army and the National Guards has already been selected. The Bradley M2A2s will bring much-desired support to the fleet of Leopard 2HEL (Hellenic, Greek) MBTs. This variant was developed on the basis of experience gained by the U.S. Army from Operation Desert Storm (ODS) in the Gulf, in 1993.

According to information from enikos.gr, the finalization of the departure date of the Greek team to the United States is considered a matter of weeks. The reason for not already set a firm date is linked to reasons of protection against the covid-19.

Let us remind that, un December 2019, the U.S. Government planned to donate almost 60 Bradley M2A2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles in ODS (Operation Desert Storm) configuration to Croatia, according to a statement issued by Croatian Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic, Kamenjar.com reports. The “Greek” Bradleys will obviously come from the same stock. In 2017 and 2018, Lebanon also received M2A2 Bradleys from the same stock.

The M2A2 Bradley AIFV (Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle) was introduced in the U.S. Army in 1988, it's an improved version of the standard vehicle Bradley M2A1. The M2A2 Bradley has exactly the same armament as the previous version Bradley M2A1. The M2A2 Bradley is armed with an ATK Gun Systems Company M242 25 mm Bushmaster Chain Gun with a 7.62 mm M240C machine gun mounted coaxially to the right of the main armament.

The layout of the M2A2 Bradley is similar to the standard version of Bradley M2A1. The Bradley M2A2 is fitted with new additional armour. Armor plates have been added to the front and the side of the hull.

The ASV M1117 is designed and manufactured by the American Company Textron Marine & Land Systems. The ASV M1117 Guardian provides greater ballistic protection than any other wheeled vehicle of its size in the world. The external modular expandable armor system of ceramic composite material provides ballistic protection for the crew, ammunition, fuel tanks, and storage areas against 12.7mm armor-piercing ammunition. It has a crew of four.

The ASV's M1117 Guardian firepower consists of a one-person, non-stabilized, turreted primary weapons station with a mounted 40mm automatic grenade launcher (MK19 MOD 3) and .50-caliber machine gun (M2/M48). The turret traverses 360° and allows for elevation of 45°.