Ukrainian Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) shoots his wingman on a 25mm range. In the video, two Bradley IFVs are on a live-fire range, with one vehicle static and the other moving. The moving vehicle maneuvers from the left of the static vehicle behind it and to the right, firing the entire time. As the moving vehicle passes behind his wingman, he does not elevate his main gun and continues firing, and one of the rounds can be seen striking the turret. The moving vehicle continues his maneuver, stopping on the right side of his wingman while still shooting.

I have qualified as a crewman on the M242 Bushmaster chain gun and run both static and maneuver ranges with this weapon system. This is a big no-no. I can understand the need for realistic training, but realism in training stops being effective when it creates unnecessary risk. There are ways to simulate this type of maneuver without having one vehicle pass behind another while firing. Fortunately, it appears that they were training inert rounds. When training, 25mm crews usually fire training practice tracer (TPT) rounds, which simulate the ballistics of HEIT, or TPDST, which simulates the ballistic of sabot rounds. It is likely that he pinged his partner with TPT, which is essentially a one-inch slug that probably put a decent dent into the turret. It is lucky that a fellow crewman was not hit, because TPT versus dude is lethal.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.