Photograph of a U.S.-made M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has been circulating in the public domain, notable for the "enhancement" applied by russian MacGyvers. The original M242 Bushmaster 25mm gun was replaced with a Soviet 2A72 30mm gun, thus effectively increasing the weapon's caliber and firepower accordingly. The modifications were noticed by online users and broken down by The War Zone.
However, while theoretically 2A72 should be an upgrade, the nuances tell a different story, Defense Express argues. True, the 2A72 automatic cannon, using 25x137 mm ammo and firing at 330 rounds per minute, should be superior to Bushmaster with its 30x165 mm and 200 rpm. But when it comes to stabilization, firstly, the Soviet weapon's barrel goes haywire during fire, which translates into hindered precision.
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Some wondered how can Russians use the Bradley if they don't have ammo for it. Well, that's how: "Russian repairmen installed a domestic 30mm 2A72 cannon on a captured Bradley instead of the chain-driven Bushmaster." pic.twitter.com/m4SZhfVKQe — SIMPLICIUS (@simpatico771) June 12, 2025
Secondly, the larger 2A72 ammunition has inferior armor-piercing properties, while the Bushmaster has even M919 depleted-uranium rounds, making it a better choice for anti-armor or long-range engagements ten times out of ten.
Perhaps, the driving motive for this replacement was a logistic one: russian invasion forces don't have much 25mm ammunition captured. The same goes for spare parts, so any breakdown of a Western weapon system could be irreversible and put the IFV out of order.
The problem with such modification is that simply replacing the gun doesn't make it, one has to rearrange the ammo loading mechanism and the entire turret insides overall. All that is already difficult, although doesn't compare to the complexity of reworking the fire control system, as 2A72 uses completely different electronics, crosshairs, etc.
Making it good would usually require a whole development project, as these two autocannons have practically nothing in common and were created in two different worlds. A solution improvised in the field can make it shoot, yes, but offers only a fraction of the weapon's original functionality, forcing the gunner to "hipfire" the armored vehicle's turret.
That said, the rationale behind this revamp remains up to debate because the russians have only seized 12 Bradleys to date, according to OSINT findings by Oryx. Spending resources and time to train personnel — of course, they could skip the special course and shoot the new gun to moderate success in trials, but then act clueless and suffer from repair problems in real combat — to this end should be inefficient, to say the least.
What really could justify the investment from russia's perspective is the psychological and media impact of their anti-West propaganda. Particularly, reinforce the narrative saying they had allegedly captured so many Western arms already that they might as well start operating them, too. For example, the russian state media have already shared a video story showing a Bradley drilling assault operations and evacuation of wounded.
Another opinion is that this particular unit lacked a turret for some reason and it was too awkward to put the trophy on public display without at least some kind of armament, and it wasn't actually integrated.
The russian sources, on the contrary, claim that such vehicles are already being used on the war front, enclosed in anti-drone "cope cages" and rubber shields. No verified reports of Bradleys actually fighting on the russian side have appeared yet.
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