US Army Deploys M2A3 Bradleys to Poland to Ensure Rapid Force Projection on NATO’s Eastern Flank.

The U.S. Army has completed the preparation of more than 100 M2A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in Germany, intended to support the next rotation of forces in Poland. This operation, carried out by the 405th Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) and the Theater Logistics Support Center-Europe (TLSC-E), is part of the APS-2 prepositioned stocks program and aims to ensure rapid projection capability for units deployed on NATO’s eastern flank.
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The return of these Bradleys to service under the APS-2 program reflects the U.S. logistical strategy in Europe, which focuses on maintaining readily deployable assets. (Picture source: US DoD)

Nearly thirty Bradleys were handed over at the APS-2 Coleman site in Mannheim by the AFSBn-Germany support battalion. The remaining vehicles were prepared and delivered by TLSC-E, mainly at the Kaiserslautern and Vilseck sites located in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. The process required several months of work, combining Army civilians, soldiers, and contractors. According to Major Alec Velasco, executive officer of AFSBn-Germany, maintenance and reconditioning efforts were reported weekly to the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa since last August. Initially seen as a major challenge, progress accelerated in the spring following inspections and parts procurement.

Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division, assigned to the rotation in Poland, were thus able to receive equipment ready for use. First Lieutenant Robert Zelinski, platoon leader in B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, highlighted the usefulness of the system, which allows units to take over vehicles, maintain them during deployment, and then return them to the support brigade once the mission is complete. His colleague, First Lieutenant Reece Crook, executive officer of the same company, noted the quality of the support provided upon arrival in Mannheim, describing the Coleman site’s maintenance standards as exemplary.

From a technical perspective, the condition of the vehicles also drew attention. Staff Sergeant Josue Betancourt, a Bradley systems maintainer, said he had never encountered Bradleys in such condition in his ten-year career. These M2A3s had previously been used by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division before being reconditioned for this new mission.

The Bradley M2A3 is the most advanced version of this infantry fighting vehicle, which entered service in 2000 after a series of modernization programs. Designed to transport a crew of three and up to seven infantrymen, it features a fully digitized electronic architecture that improves situational awareness and interoperability with M1 Abrams tanks and U.S. Army digital command systems. Its armament consists of a 25 mm Bushmaster M242 cannon, a 7.62 mm M240C coaxial machine gun, two TOW missile launchers, and eight smoke grenade launchers. It is equipped with second-generation targeting systems, including thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and a commander’s independent viewer.

In terms of protection, the M2A3 is based on modular composite armor with the option of adding explosive reactive armor (ERA) tiles to counter rocket-propelled grenades and 30 mm armor-piercing ammunition. The vehicle is also fitted with NBC protection systems, automatic fire extinguishers, and, in some configurations, electronic jammers against improvised explosive devices. With a top road speed of 61 km/h and a range of 400 km, it retains strong mobility characteristics and is amphibious, propelled in water by its tracks.

The return of these Bradleys to service under the APS-2 program reflects the U.S. logistical strategy in Europe, which focuses on maintaining readily deployable assets. The Coleman site is one of six APS-2 facilities on the continent, managed by the 405th AFSB, which is attached to the U.S. Army Sustainment Command and provides continuous materiel support across Europe and Africa. The joint preparation effort, involving military personnel, civilians, and contractors, illustrates Washington’s emphasis on operational responsiveness on NATO’s eastern flank. After being tested on Coleman’s tracks to confirm their availability, the vehicles are now ready for deployment. In sum, more than one hundred modernized and fully operational M2A3 Bradleys will reinforce the U.S. presence in Poland as part of the 1st Cavalry Division’s rotation, contributing to NATO’s deterrence posture and support in Central Europe.