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The BFIST (Bradley Fire Support Team) is the “Eyes" of the US armed forces artillery units. The United States Army acquired the Bradley fire support vehicle (BFIST) to replace the M981 fire support team vehicle (FISTY). This vehicle is based on the chassis of the Bradley M3A2 Operation Desert Storm (ODS). It maintains the existing Bradley signature and improves reliability, availability, maintainability, mobility and survivability. Using state of-the-art long-range sensors, BFIST can acquire, identify, track and designate targets while mounted and under armor, enhancing crew survivability. The BFIST is assigned to the Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and Combined Arms Battalions of the Armored Brigade Combat Team of US Army.
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| Armament |
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The BFIST (Bradley Fire Support Team) is fitted with same two-man turret as all Bradley M2/M3 IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) armed with one 25 mm ATK Gun Systems Company M242 Chain Gun, one coaxial machine gun M240C 7.62mm caliber. The turret has 360º electric traverse and the weapons can be elevated from -10 to +60º. The two TOW anti-tank guided missile launchers mounted on standard Bradley IFV are replaced by target acquisition optics mounted to the left side of the turret. There are two M257 electrically operated smoke grenade launchers, with four smoke grenades in each, mounted on the forward part of the turret, one on either side of the main armament.
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| Design and protection |
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The BFIST (Bradley Fire Support Team) is based on the chassis of the Bradley M3A2. The layout of the vehicle is similar to standard Bradley M2/M3 IFV, but there is one antenna on each side at the rear on the top hull. The BFIST has a crew of four with driver at the front, two men in the turret and one man in the troops compartment at the rear of the hull. The hull and the turret of the original M3 IFV were made of all-welded aluminium armour with spaced laminate armour fitted to the hull, sides and rear.
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| Mobility |
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The BFIST (Bradley Fire Support Team) is motorized with a Cummins VTA-903T turbocharged 8-cylinder diesel engine developing 600 hp. at 2,600 rpm. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 61 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 400 km. The torsion bar suspension of the BFIST consists on each side of six dual rubber-tired road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front and the idler at the rear.
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| Accessories |
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Standard equipment for the BFIST (Bradley Fire Support Team) includes fire detection and suppression system, NBC system and day/night vision equipment for commander, gunner and driver. As well as the standard day/night sight the gunner will also have the Integrated Sight Unit (ISU) with the eye-safe laser range-finder, with the commander having an optical relay from the gunner's sight. The eye-safe laser range-finder is to be fitted to current Bradley vehicles as part of the ODS (Operation Desert Storm) improvement package. The major subsystems of the BFIST include an Inertial Navigation System (INS), an eye safe laser range finder (ELRF), four Single Channel Ground and Airborne Receiver System (SINCGARS) radios, a precision lightweight Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver (PLGR), a Battlefield Combat Identification System (BCIS), a mission processor unit (MPU), a handheld terminal unit (HTU), a lightweight computer unit (LCU), and two tactical communication interface modules (TCIM).
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| Specifications |
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Armament
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One 25mm M242 cannon, one 7.62mm M240C coaxial machine gun
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Country users
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United States
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Designer Country
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United States
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Accessories
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Fire detection and suppression system, NBC system and day/night vision,Integrated Sight Unit, Inertial Navigation System, laser range finder, Global Positioning System, Battlefield Combat Identification System.
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Crew
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4
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Armor
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Spaced laminate armor. RPG and 30 mm APDS all around protection (with armor upgrades) and shell splinters 155mm. In option, passive armour or Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA)
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Weight
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29,900 kg
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Speed
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65 km/h
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Range
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400 km
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Dimensions
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Lenght, 6.55 m; Width, 3.28 m; Height, 3.38 m
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