US Army upgrading Bradley IFVs with Iron Fist

The Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is one of the best all-around armored vehicles out there. Its TOW missiles make it a tank killer. Its Bushmaster auto-cannon clears enemy positions in seconds, and now it’s going to be armed with the power of the Iron Fist.

Elbit’s Iron Fist is being produced in partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

First reported by Breaking Defense, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean said the service will finally start equipping Bradley IFVs with Elbit’s Iron Fist Light Decoupled Active Protection System (APS).

The Iron Fist acts as a bodyguard of sorts. As the name implies, the Iron Fist Light Decoupled is designed for lighter armored vehicles or even 4x4s. There is a larger Iron Fist designed for main battle tanks as well, but the lighter model is better suited for installation on small- and medium-sized vehicles.

Finally a photo of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle with Iron Fist APS – that is one cluttered looking turret. 😬 pic.twitter.com/V1HfFZq3Rv

— Grant Turnbull (@grantturnbull_) January 8, 2019

Using two different systems to sense targets in a 360-degree radius, the Iron Fist will automatically detect incoming threats to the vehicle, alert the crew and, if the threat warrants an immediate response, the Iron Fist will deploy its interceptor.

The system is effective against RPGs, recoilless rifles, drones and kinetic energy weapons that fire supersonic streams of steel into and through armored vehicles.

The Iron Fist is designed to try and minimize secondary detonations. So, it uses shockwaves to down incoming projectiles. Thanks to Elbit’s high-end sensors, it can detect incoming drones from far enough away the Bradley’s crew can use its other weapons to take down the drones. This saves the Iron Fist interceptor for more immediate threats.

Ukraine’s US-supplied Bradley IFVs shredding Russian armor

The U.S. Army has been trying for years to install active protection systems on its Bradleys. Budget shortfalls looked like the branch would sideline that plan again, but the wars in Gaza and Ukraine are proving the need for APS.

Dean said there’s only enough money available right now to outfit a few dozen Bradleys during this first wave of upgrades, but there’s a plan to outfit more over the next eight years.

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