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Thanks for posting. My understanding is that the Bradley served well in Iraq, taking out many Iraqi tanks. Did this article’s criticism hold up?
by jmpman 7y ago
Thanks for posting. My understanding is that the Bradley served well in Iraq, taking out many Iraqi tanks. Did this article’s criticism hold up?
- areoform 7y agoYes. The firestorm surrounding the Bradley led to a forced redesign. Sadly, most of this knowledge is inaccessible online, but here's the Wiki > When testing the Bradley, however, disagreements occurred between Burton and the Aberdeen Proving Ground's Ballistic Research Laboratory, which preferred smaller, more controlled, "building block" tests. They claimed such limited (and according to Col. Burton, completely unrealistic) testing would "improve the databases used to model vehicle survivability", as opposed to full tests with random shots that would provide a far more accurate picture of its performance under real battlefield conditions, but produce less useful statistical data.[11] In addition, Burton insisted on a series of "overmatch" tests in which weapons would be fired at the Bradley that were known to be able to easily penetrate its armor, including Russian ordnance. Burton saw attempts to avoid such tests as dishonest, while the BRL saw them as wasteful, as they already knew the vehicle would fail. The disagreements became so contentious that Congressional inquiry resulted. As a result of the tests, additional improvements to vehicle survivability were added. Burton forced their hand. They retaliated by making him retire in disgrace, but his bureaucratic heroism saved thousands of lives.