As part of its efforts to modernize its fleet of Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), the United States Army has confirmed the purchase of new Iron Fist active protection systems (APS) from the Israeli company Elbit Systems. These new systems are intended to equip the new variant of the Bradley IFV family, designated M2A4E1, which was presented last May.
According to a report by the Israeli company on November 5, the U.S. Army awarded a contract to supply the new Iron Fist APS system worth $127 million. The equipment and systems will be provided to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) over a 34-month period to upgrade the Bradley IFVs of the new M2A4E1 variant.
Based on the experiences accumulated in high-intensity conflicts where its Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are being deployed, the U.S. Army issued a requirement to the industry to improve its IFVs. This materialized with the presentation of the new M2A4E1 last May, with one of its main features being the integration of new Iron Fist active protection systems.
Elbit Systems highlights, “It is an advanced Active Interception System (Hard Kill) designed to enhance the self-defense capabilities of both light and heavy armored platforms against modern battlefield threats. This is the second generation of the Israeli Defense Forces’ Active Protection System (APS), characterized by high performance and low volume, weight, and power requirements. The system provides armored platforms with 360-degree protection against a wide range of anti-tank threats, including anti-tank rockets (ATR), anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and loitering threats, in both open terrain and complex urban environments.”
With its incorporation into the M2A4 variant of the Bradley, the U.S. Army fulfills a long-standing requirement to equip its IFVs with this type of active protection equipment at a time when armored vehicles, from tanks to transport vehicles, face a broad and diverse range of threats. One of the reasons for choosing this version over previous IFV versions is that the Bradley A3 variant lacked the necessary power supply to operate such systems.
To date, the U.S. Army has been awarding various contracts for the acquisition of over 700 new Bradley M2A4 IFVs, of which up to 200 could be equipped with the new Iron Fist active protection system in the coming months, intended to equip four Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
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