The Telegraph: The US Army Will Get 'Iron Fist' Technology Thanks To War In Ukraine

The Pentagon has learned a lesson from the fighting.

Many critics of aid to Ukraine, apparently, do not realize that most of the funds are spent in the United States itself and often go to the improvement of the US Army's weapons. The Telegraph reported.

For example, part of the funds allocated to Ukraine were directed to the latest 'Iron Fist' active protection technology. The US Army's armored vehicles got it much faster.

The United States routinely transfers old weapons from its stockpiles to Ukraine and then uses the approved “aid to Ukraine” funds to re-equip American troops with new weapons instead of the old ones.

In fact, about $140 billion that the US will spend on Ukraine during the first three years of the war is actually spent on modernizing the US Army.

The M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are a perfect example of this. In exchange for transferring old M2s to Ukraine, Washington received new M2s from the BAE Systems assembly line in Pennsylvania.

The administration of US President Joe Biden supplied Ukraine with more than 200 M2A2s issued in the 1990s. The elite 47th Ukrainian Brigade uses 33-ton tracked vehicles with 25 mm autocannons to deter Russian attacks.

Thanks to the financing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the US Army receives completely new Bradley M2A4E1s — they replace the M2A2s currently being supplied to Ukraine.

It is not known for certain how many M2A4E1s are purchased by Americans, but the replacement of old ones with new ones occurs in a one-to-one ratio.

“The Army received funding to procure the M-2A4E1 for every Bradley donated to Ukraine,” the US Army’s office for armored vehicles stated.

The armored vehicle office called the M-2A4E1 “the most modern and survivable version of the Bradley" with the highest survival rate. In addition, it is also one of the first US combat vehicles to be modernized based on the lessons the Pentagon has learned from watching the fighting in Ukraine.

Bradley with 'Iron Fist' Active Protection

The M-2A4E1 version has all the improved characteristics of the M-2A2, including an accurate gun, reliable armor, an improved infrared sight and an air conditioning system for the crew. In addition, the new IFV was supplemented with the 'Iron Fist' active protection system. We are talking about a new type of protection against missiles and drones.

Most armored vehicles have only "passive" protection — that is, armor and, in fact, the body of the vehicle. The new “active” defense is aimed at intercepting enemy fire even before it reaches the vehicle.

Most active protection systems operate on the same principle. Some of these systems are used in the most advanced armies in the world, including the Israeli army.

Tiny radars located around the turret of the machine find an approaching missile, projectile or drone and activate the launchers. Tiny precision-guided missiles are launched to intercept.

The Iron Fist and other active protection systems have significantly increased the chances of survival of Israeli soldiers fighting against Hezbollah and Hamas.

The M-2A4E1 is one of the first US combat vehicles with active protection, which makes it even more effective for wars like the one in Ukraine. With tiny FPV drones that are everywhere along the front line.

Most armored vehicles have the thickest armor in the front of the hull and turret. But drones can attack from the side, back, and even from the top, where the armor is thinner.

The active protection system protects the transport from all sides, not only from the front.

The war in Ukraine has pushed other countries to invest in tiny strike drones. Soon, ubiquitous FPVs could become a problem in every major conflict. In the US, active protection will be required for all combat vehicles, not just a few of the newest ones.

But those first few Bradley M-2A4E1s are a good start. And the more Bradley America sends to Ukraine, the faster American soldiers will receive active protection with new IFVs.