"The fact that the American BMP Bradley is not an analog of the Russian BMP-3 has been confirmed by the in-situ study of samples taken during the special military operation. The study of trophies confirms that the BMP-3's characteristics - firepower, mobility, ease of operation, maintenance, repair - are superior to the American infantry fighting vehicle," he said.
In particular, the Bradley is armed only with an automatic 25mm-caliber canon and is not amphibious without preliminary and serious preparations, unlike the BMP-3, which overcomes water obstacles immediately, Khromov noted.
"The American vehicle needs time to do this, and time is life," Khromov said.
"Furthermore, the American vehicle has a low level of mobility and off-road capability, especially on the type of terrain we see in the region of special operation," the specialist added.
He noted that a comparison between the BMP-3 and the Bradley was carried out as early as 1991. The vehicle was presented in a tender in the United Arab Emirates, which was selecting an infantry fighting vehicle for its army.
"At that time, the USSR took part in the tender with the BMP-3 and BMP-2, and the US with the M2 Bradley. A comparative analysis showed that the BMP-3 won in terms of combat characteristics and by a wide margin. As a result, the Emirates bought more than 600 of these in the Nineties," he said.
Khromov added that the US infantry fighting vehicle used in the special military operational zone is somewhat different, mainly because of electronic systems that are quite difficult to use.
"This is one of the weak points of these vehicles: if electronic components in the Bradley fail, the vehicle can completely lose its ability to fire," Khromov noted.
The study of Western equipment, including the Bradley and its components, will continue, Khromov added.
The BMP-3, designed and produced at Kurganmashzavod, is intended for both general combat and special operations. The vehicle is equipped with a powerful armament complex, including a 100mm gun with an automatic fire control system.
The BMP-3 can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour on land and up to 9.5 kilometers per hour on water. The total combat weight of the vehicle without additional protection is 19 tons. The BMP-3 can be transported by air and sea.