The M2 was named after World War II General Omar Bradley. The M2 carries a crew of three and a six-man infantry squad. The Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy troops and armored vehicles. Since entering service with the U.S. Army in 1981, a total of 4,641 M2s have been produced.
The M2's primary armament is a 25 mm cannon which fires up to 200 rounds per minute and is accurate up to 2500 m depending on the ammunition used. It is also armed with twin BGM-71 TOW wire-guided missiles held in a rectangular compartment on the left side of the turret which are capable of destroying most tanks out to a maximum range of 3750 m. However, the missiles can only be fired while the vehicle is stationary. The Bradley also carries a coaxial 7.62 mm medium machine gun, located to the right of the 25 mm chain gun.
During the Gulf War, M2 Bradleys destroyed more Iraqi armored vehicles than the M1 Abrams.