Two M2A2 infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian military, equipped with 25mm machine guns, showed amazing combat capabilities and successfully destroyed a Russian newest T-90M "Breakthrough 3" main battle tank, which has attracted widespread attention and heated discussions in military circles.
It is reported that the battle took place in the village of Stepovo, north of Avdiivka, and at first the two sides were caught in an unexpected close exchange of fire, however, the Ukrainian M2A2 infantry fighting vehicles quickly showed their advantage in being agile and maneuverable. In the ensuing fierce battle, the two tanks constantly adjusted their positions, skillfully using the cover of villages and houses, and launched powerful flanking attacks on enemy tanks.
During the battle, reconnaissance drones of the Ukrainian military played an important role, providing critical information support for battlefield command and surveillance. At the same time, the M2A2 infantry fighting vehicle equipped with the 25mm "Viper" chain gun continued to hit enemy targets, coupled with the close attack of FPV suicide drones used by the Ukrainian army, which led to the damage to the external sighting system of the enemy T-90M tank, and finally made it fall into an uncontrollable state and had to abandon the battlefield.
An M2A2 infantry fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian army fired a "Tao" anti-tank missile against the target, but unfortunately it was successfully intercepted by the "Arena-M" active defense system of the T-90M tank. However, the Ukrainian infantry tank then hit the T-25M tank with 90mm shells in a row, causing the tank turret to explode anti-armor **, which is quite wide.
Subsequently, a second Ukrainian "Bradley" M2A2 infantry tank appeared, and two "Bradley" vehicles flanked the T-90M and launched an attack on it on the flank with 25mm chain guns. The Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle is extremely maneuverable, constantly changing positions, making the Russian army's T-90M tanks in a dilemma.
According to visual measurements, about 20 rounds of 25-mm "Viper" chain gun shells hit the T-90M tank in a row. Although the M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle's 25mm M242 chain gun could not directly penetrate the T-90M's frontal main armor, its armor-piercing shells were able to penetrate the tank's side and rear armor and destroy sighting, crosswind sensors, communications and electronics outside the turret.
During the entire battle, the Russian T-90M fired only two shells, both of which missed the target, and continued to receive powerful blows from the Ukrainian side. This may be due to the severe damage to the artillery control system and sighting system.
Ukrainian drones assessed the damage to the Russian T-90M tank after the crew abandoned the vehicle and fled. Although the turret armor of the tank is still intact, the anti-explosive armor of the turret and the front of the body has completely disappeared, and the whole vehicle is in a terrible condition, and has lost any combat capability.
To tell a joke: a small-caliber cannon of an infantry fighting vehicle is capable of destroying a tank. No kidding: the small-caliber guns of infantry fighting vehicles really have the ability to destroy tanks. The constant blows of 25 or 30 mm guns against the sides and rear of the tank were indeed capable of destroying the main battle tank. In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war, there were many cases of the Ukrainian army's BTR-4 large eight-wheeled infantry fighting vehicle using a 30mm machine gun to destroy the Russian T-72 tank, and some people even jokingly called the BTR-4 infantry fighting vehicle the "T-72 killer".
The Ukrainian-made BTR-4 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle is equipped with an improved unmanned remote-controlled turret, which allows the gunner to remotely control the turret ** through an LCD screen and a joystick in the vehicle. This turret is equipped with a 30 mm caliber Type 2A72 cannon, which is externally reinforced with trusses, similar to the machine gun of the Type 09 wheeled infantry combat vehicle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and is based on the 2A72. In addition, the BTR-4 is equipped with a 762-mm PKT coaxial machine gun and two anti-tank missiles "Stugna".
In past battles, the BTR-4 infantry combat vehicles of the Ukrainian army, guided by drones, have repeatedly carried out roundabout attacks, especially in urban operations, where armor-piercing strikes were inflicted on the main battle tanks of the Russian army. These attacks likely destroyed some tanks, especially the Russian T-72 main battle tank, due to the relatively thin rear armor of the turret and hull sides.
According to the information, the T-72 had only about 60-80 mm of armor on the sides and 30 mm thick in the rear (with an angle of inclination of 25 degrees). Ukraine's BTR-4 wheeled infantry combat vehicle is armed with a 30-mm cannon that fires tracer armor-piercing shells with an ultimate penetration depth of about 20 mm 60 degrees, which is enough to penetrate the tail of the T-72 tank's hull, causing a fire or even destroying the entire tank. Even striking the flanks of tanks can cause damage to turret sighting equipment.
The turret of a modern main battle tank is equipped with a large number of sighting and electronic equipment, and in addition to the engine, there are many oil lines and fuel tanks in the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when hit by small-caliber armor-piercing shells, it can easily lead to damage to the tank's sights or the vehicle to be burned on fire. In tank engagements, avoiding exposing the sides and rear of the tank to the enemy became one of the most important tactics.
In this battle, Ukraine's M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle mainly relied on its ability to control the battlefield situation. However, any infantry fighting vehicle has a vulnerable vulnerability. Just like the "Bradley" infantry fighting vehicle, if the T-90M tank of the Russian army can fire shells more accurately, it is likely that the M2A2 infantry tank can be destroyed with a single hit. However, alas, the Russian shells did not hit the target.
The American Bradley infantry fighting vehicle gained fame for its participation in the 1991 Gulf War. At that time, the thermal imager carried by the M2 "Bradley" infantry tank was more advanced than that on the US M1 "Abrams" tank, and had a longer field of view. Thus, in battle, the "Bradley" infantry tank often played an important role in indicating targets for the M1 tank. Had it not been for its outstanding performance in the Gulf War, the Bradley M2 would likely have been phased out and retired in the late 90s, and would have been reduced to an unpopular armament.
The Ukrainian army's tactics of using small quadcopter drones to guide infantry fighting vehicles to encircle and destroy tanks are quite novel. This drone can look down from the sky and monitor the dynamics of the Russian army's main battle tank in all directions, allowing the Ukrainian infantry combat vehicle to be cleverly deployed and continue to output firepower in a flexible and changeable way to carry out flank and tail strikes.
In today's modern battlefield, the position of drones is crucial, and it can often directly determine the outcome of a battle. Small quadcopter UAVs have completely subverted the laws of engagement on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, making the various operational principles followed by the previous ** teams no longer applicable. In particular, the joint operation of reconnaissance UAVs with FPV suicide UAVs almost completely changed the pattern of warfare.